McNair program sets the pace

The University’s Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program continues to enjoy the highest success rate in America among similar programs, according to a recent U.S. Department of Education report.

The program, named for an African-American astronaut who died in the 1986 Challenger space shuttle explosion, is one of 179 nationwide helping students from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds pursue admission and financial aid to earn graduate degrees.

Originally funded in 1999 by a four-year federal grant, the McNair program at UD has achieved a 100 percent success rate for students who have applied for and been accepted to graduate school. By contrast, the acceptance rate is 22.5 percent nationally and 20.6 percent in the region that includes Delaware.