The Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program—referred to in these regulations as the McNair program—awards grants to institutions of higher education for projects designed to provide disadvantaged college students with effective preparation for doctoral study.

Institutions of higher education and combinations of those institutions are eligible for grants to carry out McNair projects.

A student is eligible to participate in a McNair project if the student meets all the following requirements:

(a)(1) Is a citizen or national of the United States; or

(2) Is a permanent resident of the United States; or

(3) Is in the United States for other than a temporary purpose and provides evidence from the Immigration and Naturalization Service of his or her intent to become a permanent resident; or

(4) Is a permanent resident of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; or

(5) Is a resident of one of the Freely Associated States.

(b) Is currently enrolled in a degree program at an institution of higher education that participates in the student financial assistance programs authorized under Title IV of the HEA.

(c) Is—

(1) A low-income individual who is a first-generation college student;

(2) A member of a group that is underrepresented in graduate education; or

(3) A member of a group that is not listed in § 647.7 if the group is underrepresented in certain academic disciplines as documented by standard statistical references or other national survey data submitted to and accepted by the Secretary on a case-by-case basis.

(d) Has not enrolled in doctoral level study at an institution of higher education.

(a) A McNair project must provide the following services and activities:

(1) Opportunities for research or other scholarly activities at the grantee institution or at graduate centers that are designed to provide students with effective preparation for doctoral study.

(2) Summer internships.

(3) Seminars and other educational activities designed to prepare students for doctoral study.

(4) Tutoring.

(5) Academic counseling.

(6) Assistance to students in securing admission to, and financial assistance for, enrollment in graduate programs.

(b) A McNair project may provide the following services and activities:

(1) Education or counseling services designed to improve the financial and economic literacy of students, including financial planning for postsecondary education.

(2) Mentoring programs involving faculty members at institutions of higher education, students, or a combination of faculty members and students.

(3) Exposure to cultural events and academic programs not usually available to disadvantaged students.

(4) Other activities designed to meet the purpose of the McNair Program in § 647.1.

A project period under the McNair program is five years.

(a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75 (except for §§ 75.215 through 75.221), 77, 79, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99.

(b) The regulations in this part 647.

(c)(1) 2 CFR part 180 (OMB Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement)), as adopted at 2 CFR part 3485; and

(2) 2 CFR part 200 (Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards), as adopted at 2 CFR part 3474.

(a) General definitions. The following terms used in this part are defined in 2 CFR part 200, subpart A, or 34 CFR 77.1:

(b) Other definitions. The following definitions also apply to this part:

Different campus means a site of an institution of higher education that—

(1) Is geographically apart from the main campus of the institution;

(2) Is permanent in nature; and

(3) Offers courses in educational programs leading to a degree, certificate, or other recognized educational credential.

Different population means a group of individuals that an eligible entity desires to serve through an application for a grant under the McNair TRIO program and that—

(1) Is separate and distinct from any other population that the entity has applied for a grant to serve; or

(2) While sharing some of the same needs as another population that the eligible entity has applied for a grant to serve, has distinct needs for specialized services.

Financial and economic literacy means knowledge about personal financial decision-making, which may include but is not limited to knowledge about—

(1) Personal and family budget planning;

(2) Understanding credit-building principles to meet long-term and short-term goals (e.g., loan to debt ratio, credit scoring, negative impacts on credit scores);

(3) Cost planning for postsecondary or postbaccalaureate education (e.g., spending, saving, personal budgeting);

(4) College cost of attendance (e.g., public vs. private, tuition vs. fees, personal costs);

(5) Financial assistance (e.g., searches, application processes, and differences between private and government loans, assistanceships); and

(6) Assistance in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

First-generation college student means—

(1) A student neither of whose natural or adoptive parents received a baccalaureate degree; or

(2) A student who, prior to the age of 18, regularly resided with and received support from only one parent, and whose supporting parent did not receive a baccalaureate degree.

(3) An individual who, prior to the age of 18, did not regularly reside with or receive support from a natural or an adoptive parent.

Graduate center means an institution of higher education as defined in sections 101 and 102 of the HEA; and that—

(1) Provides instruction in one or more programs leading to a doctoral degree;

(2) Maintains specialized library collections;

(3) Employs scholars engaged in research that relates to the subject areas of the center; and

(4) Provides outreach and consultative services on a national, regional or local basis.

Graduate education means studies beyond the bachelor's degree leading to a postbaccalaureate degree.

Groups underrepresented in graduate education. The following ethnic and racial groups are considered underrepresented in graduate education: Black (non-Hispanic), Hispanic, American Indian, Alaskan Native (as defined in section 7306 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA)), Native Hawaiians (as defined in section 7207 of the ESEA), and Native American Pacific Islanders (as defined in section 320 of the HEA).

HEA means the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended.

Institution of higher education means an educational institution as defined in sections 101 and 102 of the HEA.

Low-income individual means an individual whose family's taxable income did not exceed 150 percent of the poverty level in the calendar year preceding the year in which the individual participates in the project. Poverty level income is determined by using criteria of poverty established by the Bureau of the Census of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Research or scholarly activity means an educational activity that is more rigorous than is typically available to undergraduates in a classroom setting, that is definitive in its start and end dates, contains appropriate benchmarks for completion of various components, and is conducted under the guidance of an appropriate faculty member with experience in the relevant discipline.

Target population means the universe from which McNair participants will be selected. The universe may be expressed in terms of geography, type of institution, academic discipline, type of disadvantage, type of underrepresentation, or any other qualifying descriptor that would enable an applicant to more precisely identify the kinds of eligible project participants they wish to serve.