McNair Fellows Program

Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program

The Ronald E. McNair Fellows Program encourages low-income, first-generation and underrepresented students to prepare for and pursue doctoral study. The Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program is one of seven TRIO Programs funded by the Department of Education under the Higher Education Act of 1965 established to promote educational opportunities for all United States citizens.

Columbia College (CC) and the Fu Foundation School and Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) are the 2003 recipients of a four-year grant for the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program. With this award, Columbia became one of only 179 institutions across the United States to have this prestigious program. The McNair Fellows Program is offered through the Center for Student Advising (CSA).

Benefits include:

• Opportunity to work with a faculty mentor and a graduate mentor;

• Room and Board for six to eight week summer research experience;

• $2,800 stipend for summer research;

• Expenses for research-related travel;

• Opportunities to present research findings at National McNair Conferences;

• Assistance with the graduate admissions process;

• Application fee waivers from participating graduate schools;

• Complimentary GRE preparatory courses; and

• Strengthening of academic and research skills.

If you are interested in learning more about the McNair Fellows Program, please send an email to mcnair@columbia.edu or call 212-854-8148.