To be eligible for the MARC GatorSTAR Program, the student must be an individual from one or more groups identified as underrepresented in the biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and social sciences, such as:
- A) Individuals with disabilities, defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; or
- B) Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, defined as meeting at least two of the following seven criteria:
1. Were or currently are homeless, as defined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act;
2. Were or currently are in the foster care system, as defined by the Administration for Children and Families;
3. Were eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program for two or more years;
4. Have/had no parents or legal guardians who completed a bachelor’s degree (see the U.S. Department of Education);
5. Were or currently are eligible for Federal Pell grants;
6. Received support from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children as a parent or child;
7. Grew up in one of the following areas: a) a U.S. rural area, as designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer, or b) a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services-designated Low-Income and Health Professional Shortage Areas. Only one of the two possibilities in #7 can be used as a criterion for the disadvantaged background.
These criteria are consistent with current NIH guidelines.