*Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds are defined as those who meet two or more of the following criteria:
- Were or currently are homeless, as defined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
- Were or currently are in the foster care system, as defined by the Administration for Children and Families.
- Were eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program for two or more years.
- Have/had no parents or legal guardians who completed a bachelor’s degree
- Were or currently are eligible for Federal Pell grants
- Received support from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) as a parent or child
- Grew up in one of the following areas: a) a U.S. rural area, as designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) 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 can be used as a criterion for the disadvantaged background definition.
Further details can be found here.