Six students in Texas State University’s McNair Scholars Program, a federal TRIO program funded by the U.S. Department of Education, recently graduated during fall and spring commencement ceremonies during the 2025–2026 academic year.
The program, officially known as the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, was created in 1989 to prepare undergraduate students for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities. The goal of the program, which was designed in 2022 at TXST to support up to 25 undergraduate students, is to increase graduate degree awards for low-income, first-generation students.
“This program is essential because it aligns with the university’s mission and overall objectives of increasing enrollment into graduate programs, advancing our Run to R1 initiative, and bolstering our workforce development,” said Rafael Cordero, executive director for TRIO Programs at TXST. “McNair helps these students enter the next realm of possibility as we continue to focus on academic success. It’s really life changing.”
Through the program, students are supported with resources to prepare them for graduate-level studies. Students engage in summer research activities with faculty members, participate in summer internships, attend professional conferences to present their research, and are connected with the IDEA Center (Innovation, Discovery, Exploration, and Analysis).
Kevin Tat, who just received his bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in psychology and pre-medicine, was encouraged to apply for the program since he fit the criteria and would benefit from the staff’s guidance.
Tat was initially preparing his graduate school application but pivoted after working with program staff on his materials.
“They provided me with funding for summer research and were helping me with applying to graduate school,” Tat said. “After that guidance, we realized that graduate school wasn’t the right option now and I needed more supplemental experience to help myself get accepted.”
After completing research on various post-bacc programs, Tat was accepted for a two-year internship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Frederick, Maryland.
During the internship, which starts in August, he will be assisting the lab instructor conducting research related to developmental biology, drafting papers, and presenting research posters.
“The McNair Scholars Program helped me get to where I am today by providing many opportunities to join a research lab and funding to travel to present findings at conferences,” he said. “They’ve helped bolster my experience to better prepare myself for graduate school.”
The program is recruiting sophomore and junior Pell Grant-eligible, first-generation students with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a rolling basis. It also accepts applications from freshmen but cannot support those students until they enter a sophomore classification.
Visit the McNair Scholars Program webpage for more information on eligibility and how to apply.