The U.S. Department of Education has awarded a $1.1 million five-year grant to Oklahoma State University to provide funding for 25 underrepresented and underserved students who will soon receive a bachelor’s degree and have hopes of earning a doctorate.

The Division of Institutional Diversity at OSU will administer the grant, known as the Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program grant.

“The program’s ultimate goal is to increase the number of underrepresented students earning a doctoral degree,” said Dr. Jason F. Kirksey, vice president for the Division of Institutional Diversity and OSU chief diversity officer. “The McNair awards are also special because they provide funding for any field of study the recipient has chosen.”

The McNair program focuses on first-generation students from disadvantaged backgrounds who demonstrate strong academic potential. McNair is similar to OK-LSAMP, however, it is not limited to the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields.  McNair is one of several “TRiO” programs designed to assist low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities progress through the academic process.

This is OSU’s fourth Department of Education TRiO grant program award. The word TRiO is not an acronym but simply denotes that there were three government programs first implemented with passage of the Higher Education Act of 1965. The Division of Institutional Diversity serves as the administrative home for the four TRiO grant programs at OSU.