The Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program prepares undergraduates for doctoral study through involvement in research and scholarly activities.  For more information please go to: http://depts.washington.edu/uwmcnair/description.htm

In order to apply for the McNair Program, you must meet the following eligibility criteria, set by the U.S. Department of Education. Because this is a federally funded program, these are strict requirements.

To be eligible, you:

• must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident
• must be a low-income student who is also a first-generation college student (for detailed descriptions, click on the links); or 
  must be a member of a group that is underrepresented in graduate education (African American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Hispanic/Latino, or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander)
• must be currently enrolled as an undergraduate in a degree program at the UW¹
• must have completed 36 credits by the time of initial entry into the program
• must have at least one year remaining before graduation (i.e., if you are graduating within the year, you are not eligible for the program)
• must have a minimum cumulative GPA of: 2.8 (sophomores), 3.0 (juniors), 3.2 (seniors)
• must have STRONG desire to attain a Ph.D.

¹Post-baccalaureate students and students who already have one bachelors degree are not eligible for the program. 
²Students whose career goals include a medical (MD) or other professional degree (JD, MBA, PharmD, etc.) are not eligible for the program.

http://depts.washington.edu/uwmcnair/eligible.htm