Thank you for your interest in our McNair Scholars Program!  Please complete this application as thoroughly as possible. You cannot save and restart this application. You may want to review the included items, take some time to make notes and gather the required documents, and then return to submit your application. If you have any questions, please call our office at (603) 862-0087.

Eligibility Requirements:

McNair Scholars are selected on a competitive basis. To be eligible, an applicant must:

  • Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
  • Be a UNH undergraduate student with 60 or more credit hours by the start of summer 2026
  • Be a UNH undergraduate student not graduating prior to May 2026
  • Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
  • Meet one of the following requirements:
    • Be a low-income AND first-generation student according to established guidelines, OR
    • Be a member of a group that is underrepresented in graduate education according to established guidelines from the Department of Education
  • Intend to pursue a PhD after graduation, or other graduate study.

Program Requirements:

Students must demonstrate a true commitment to pursuing doctoral studies and agree to participate in all of the following: an intensive faculty-guided summer research program and ongoing research during the academic year, summer research methods & writing course, summer graduate school prep classes, seminars, workshops, and regular meetings with McNair staff. Participants are required to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
General Information:
Last Name *
First Name *
Middle Name *
Date of Birth *
Gender *
Address *
Address 2
City *
State *
ZIP Code *
Home Phone
Cell Phone *
Email Address *
Are you in a STEM Major?
Major *
Program Entry Level *
U.S. Resident:
Ethnicity: Hispanic *
Race: American Indian/Alaskan Native *
Race: Asian *
Race: Black or African American *
Race: Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander *
Race: White *
GPA *
Family Information:
Mother/Legal Guardian Highest Educational Level *
Father/Legal Guardian Highest Educational Level *
How many people are in your household? *
Household Taxable Income *

Personal Statement:

Please write a statement (300-500 words) describing your educational and career goals from completion of your undergraduate degree through completion of your graduate/doctorate degree. Explain what you have done to prepare yourself to meet these goals (courses, lab work, extracurricular activities, etc.). In what ways would you like the McNair Program to help strengthen your preparedness for graduate school? What motivates you to pursue graduate studies? In addition, please outline one or more research interests upon which you would like to focus during the McNair summer research fellowship. Please include the following components:

  • What is your definition of research? Why would you like to pursue a research project in these particular topic areas?
  • What experience do you have with your research topic(s) of interest?
  • Value of the research interests to you (e.g. how would research in these areas fit into your academic or career ambitions?)
Personal Statement *

Letters of Recommendation:

Two completed letters of recommendation are required in order to be considered for McNair. These letters must come from a faculty member, preferably one in your major. We ask that you please request these letters early, prior to submitting your application, as we will reach out to the faculty members to collect their letters.
Faculty Member 1 Email *
Faculty Member 2 Email *

Sign and Submit:

The Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program is a federally-funded project designed to increase the number of underrepresented individuals pursuing doctoral study. The information on this form is required and is strictly confidential; it will be only be used to determine eligibility.

I hereby certify that all the above information is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge. I further authorize the University of New Hampshire McNair Scholars Program to access and review my academic transcripts for the purpose of verifying my eligibility and aiding in my potential selection for the program.
Applicant Signature *
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Signature: (Type in your full name)
I agree to the terms included.