Despite federal cuts, UALR’s Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program has won funding approval from the U.S. Department of Education for the next five years, a total of $1.23 million.

UALR’s program was among only 17 institutions that received approval in a second round of funding announced this fall.

“This is important because the federal government cut the number of McNair Programs supported across the nation from 200 to 151,” said Gwendolyn Middleton, assistant director of the McNair program in the UALR Academic Success Center.

“Forty-nine schools lost their McNair funding in this grant competition because $10 million was taken from the McNair Grants and reallocated to the Upward Bound Math and Science Program. We were very fortunate to have been funded in this cycle in lieu of this massive cut.”

The grant supports the mission of the TRiO Programs to prepare low-income, first-generation, and under-represented students for the next step in their academic journey.

“Specifically, we provide graduate school preparation for our target population so that they may be better equipped to attain a doctoral degree,” Middleton said.

Since 2007, UALR’s McNair program has served 144 students. Beginning October 2013, the number of students who will be helped annually will increase to 28.