McNair Graduate Research Fellows
McNair Graduate Research Fellows are outstanding undergraduate McNair Scholars who are accepted into a master’s or doctoral program at Oklahoma State University. This fellowship supports first-generation and low-income students from underrepresented backgrounds, encouraging them to pursue advanced degrees and become role models for future scholars. Fellows also have the opportunity to mentor undergraduate McNair students at OSU.
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McNair Graduate Fellows Requirements
- Applicants must have earned their undergraduate degree within five years prior to starting graduate studies.
- Fellowship is only for first-time graduate students. If you’ve already earned a master’s, you’re only eligible if applying to a Ph.D. (not another master’s).
- A letter of good standing from your undergraduate McNair program is required (used for admission and application fee waiver).
- You must apply for the fellowship at the same time as your initial graduate application to OSU.
- Admission must be unconditional into a residential Master’s or Ph.D. program (no certificate, or distance-learning programs or provisional admission).
- Fellows must meet with a Graduate College academic advisor each semester.
- Tuition waivers apply to required credit hours only. Enrollment must be full-time (9 hours or 6 with an assistantship).
- Fellows completing their degree may receive honor cords for commencement.
- Fellows must submit the required program contract to the Graduate College each year.
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McNair Graduate Fellows Benefits
- Up to $500 in travel reimbursement per degree is available for:
- Professional development
- Conference presentations
- Research data collection
- You will need to fill out the form at the following link.
- If accepted into the fellowship, students receive a tuition waiver based on McNair status.
- If holding a GTA/GRA role, the GSSI tuition waiver applies instead.
- If employed full-time at OSU, the faculty/staff waiver applies.
- McNair tuition waivers do not stack with other waivers.
- Tuition waivers do not apply to independent study, leveling, or outreach-type courses.
- Students maintaining good standing in the program remain eligible for tuition waivers in future semesters, even if assistantship or employee status ends.
- Full-time enrollment remains required for waiver eligibility.
- Up to $500 in travel reimbursement per degree is available for:
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How to Apply to the McNair Graduate Fellows Program
- Complete your graduate application for OSU and identify yourself as a McNair Scholar.
- Upload a letter of good standing from your undergraduate McNair director.
- Acceptable file formats: PDF, DOC, DOCX, RTF, TXT.
- Once admitted to a qualifying graduate program, your eligibility for the fellowship will be automatically reviewed.
- The McNair Graduate Fellowship is competitive, and early application is strongly encouraged.
- If selected, you will be contacted directly by the OSU Graduate College with an offer.
Ronald McNair Astronaut, Physicist (1950–1986)
Born in South Carolina in 1950, Ronald became an MIT-trained physicist who specialized in laser research before joining NASA in the late 1970s. In February 1984, he became just the second African American to reach space, serving as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger.