Boston College is the recipient of the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Totaling $1.3 million for the next five years, the grant will assist students who aspire to pursue graduate education with an emphasis on attainment of a doctoral degree.
The McNair Scholars program at Boston College, hosted by the Learning to Learn Office, seeks to prepare low-income and first-generation college students, as well as underrepresented populations, to achieve their dream of attaining master’s and doctoral degrees in a variety of fields of study. Services include an eight-week summer program where participants lead their own research projects with support from a Boston College faculty member and/or join a faculty member’s research team. Among other activities, students in the program present their research and travel to national conferences to learn about other opportunities.
According to Council of Graduate Schools data, fewer than 10 percent of doctorates conferred in 2020 went to persons of color. The McNair program fills a void in the educational pathway for students who want to pursue education beyond the bachelor’s degree.
Most recently, 60 percent of the Boston College McNair program participants in the Class of 2022 were accepted into graduate programs. Four students, including one Fulbright recipient, were accepted to doctoral degree programs. Over the program’s almost 20-year history, 63 percent of program participants have enrolled in graduate programs.
For more than 40 years, òòò½Ö±²¥'s Learning to Learn Office has served the needs of low-income, first-generation, and underserved populations. The McNair program has been at Boston College since 2003.
University Communications | August 2022