McNair Scholars

Online Application Information

About the McNair Scholars Program

The mission of the CWU McNair Scholars Program is to help low-income, first generation college students and students underrepresented in graduate education, reach their goals of attaining doctoral degrees. Funded by Congress through the U.S. Department of Education, there are 158 programs on campuses nationwide. CWU is proud to have been one of the original McNair Institutions in the country, and among the first in Washington State. The program works with students who have a stated interest in obtaining a Ph.D. and helps them prepare for successful application to, and completion of, a graduate-program. This includes GRE preparation, graduate school visits, faculty-mentored independent research, opportunities to present research findings at conferences around the country, academic advising, and elective credit for McNair seminars.

Online Application
Please review the information below before starting the application.

• Proof of Income
• Transcripts (from a previous Secondary Institution)
• Personal Statement

• To qualify you must be a low-income student who is also a first generation college student; or must be a member of a group that is underrepresented in higher education.
• You must also have a minimum major GPA of 3.1 and a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.9.
• Federal law requires McNair Scholars to be US Citizens or Permanent Residents to qualify.

In this section you will attach proof of income (most recent IRS form 1040 or most recent completed FAFSA SAR - Student Aid Report), which you can request from the CWU Financial Aid office or the FAFSA website; if you are a low-income student. 

IMPORTANT: Before submitting any financial documents make sure all sensitive information (social security numbers) has been redacted.

Part II: Secondary Education
This portion of the application will show us details about your current enrollment at CWU or previous institutions.

In this section, you can submit transcripts if you have previously attended a Secondary Institution. You are not required to upload a non-CWU transcript at this time, but if you have one available you may upload it here. We will try to obtain them through CWU, but if unavailable, we reserve the right to request non-CWU transcripts for the application process.

Part III: Personal Statement
In this section of the application you will attach your personal statement that answers the following questions:

• Why do you want to pursue a Ph.D.?
• What are your short- and long-term goals?
• How can the McNair Scholars Program assist you in attaining these goals?
• What specific research area would interest you the most? Discuss a possible research topic and mentor/professor with whom you would like to work with.
• Describe a personal example that shows your persistence and commitment to academic endeavors.

Part IV: References
You need two faculty Letters of Recommendation to be considered. At least one recommender must be a CWU faculty member in your major.

In this section, you will provide basic information on both faculty members you have asked to write your letters of recommendation.

You can also access a downloadable PDF of the McNair application.

If you are ready to apply online, please follow this online application link.

Definitions

First Generation:
A first-generation college student is

• A student neither of whose natural or adoptive parents received a baccalaureate degree; or
• A student who, prior to the age of 18, regularly resided with and received support from only one parent and whose supporting parent did not receive a baccalaureate degree; or
• An individual who, prior to the age of 18, did not regularly reside with or receive support from a natural or an adoptive parent.

Low-Income:
The term "low-income individual" means an individual whose family's taxable income (1040, line 43; 1040A, line 27; 1040EZ, line 6) for the preceding year did not exceed 150% of the poverty level amount. Below are the current amounts:

Underrepresented:
An underrepresented college student is

• A member of a group that is underrepresented in higher education (African American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Hispanic/LatinX, or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander) regardless of parents' education or family income.