The U.S. Department of Education plans to rewrite eligibility rules for the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program to remove race‑based criteria, a move that ends a lawsuit from conservative plaintiffs and broadens the program’s reach under race‑neutral terms. The McNair program, which funds Ph.D. preparation for underrepresented and low‑income students, will continue under revised regulatory language the department says will comply with recent Justice Department guidance. Colleges and graduate advisors should prepare for altered recruitment and reporting rules; program directors will likely need to redesign outreach while preserving the program’s focus on supporting first‑generation and low‑income scholars. The department says the changes will be pursued through formal rulemaking.