Clarkson and St. Lawrence Universities will receive a combined sum of $446,795 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Education.

Clarkson University and St. Lawrence University will receive grants under the Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program. For the 2012-2013 school year, Clarkson will receive $220,000 and St. Lawrence will receive $226,795.

“Federal programs like TRIO provide significant educational opportunities for New York students,” said Rep. Bill Owens, who made the announcement Wednesday. “During tough economic times, responsible investment in the region’s academic institutions is critical to training high-skilled workers for quality jobs.”

Both schools will use the funds to prepare students from disadvantaged backgrounds for post-baccalaureate studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.

In a press release Owens said he worked closely with St. Lawrence University to help ensure the U.S. Department of Education maintained McNair Achievement Program funding for area schools in the face of budget constraints and the Department’s reallocation of TRIO funding.

“St. Lawrence is pleased to begin the new academic year with this news. It is a vote of confidence from the U.S. Department of Education given the new priority that McNair programs promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. St. Lawrence is prepared to continue to offer a balance between a strong liberal arts educational preparation and rigorous and relevant STEM opportunities for our eligible students. Overall, the McNair Program is an essential aspect of our national imperative to prepare low-income, first-generation college students, and students from groups underrepresented in graduate education for doctoral study. St. Lawrence University is proud to be a part of this important initiative,” said Marsha A. Sawyer, Director of the CSTEP & McNair Scholars Program at St. Lawrence University.

The McNair Achievement Program supports institutions of higher learning in preparing candidates for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities.