USDA Scholarship Program for Historically Black College Students Put on Hold: What It Means for Your Education

WASHINGTON (AP) — A key scholarship program designed to help students from underserved and rural areas attend historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) has been put on hold.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has suspended the 1890 Scholars Program. This program covered full tuition and fees for students majoring in agriculture, food, or natural resource sciences at 19 1890 land grant universities.

Details about the timing of the suspension are unclear. However, some Congress members publicly criticized this decision last Thursday. The Department of Agriculture did not provide further details when contacted for clarification.

According to a statement on the program’s website, “The 1890 Scholars Program has been suspended pending further review.” This decision relates to a funding freeze initiated by the Trump administration, aimed at reviewing how federal money is spent in line with his executive orders on climate change and diversity programs.

The freeze has faced legal challenges, with some courts already putting temporary holds on the executive actions involved.

The universities affected by this suspension include prominent institutions like Alabama A&M, Florida A&M, and North Carolina A&T, as well as Tuskegee University in Alabama.

This scholarship program has been around since 1992. Its name references the Second Morrill Act of 1890, which established HBCUs.

To qualify for the scholarship, students must be U.S. citizens with a GPA of at least 3.0. They also need to be accepted at one of the 19 land grant universities and must pursue a major in agriculture or a related field. Demonstrating leadership and community service is also a requirement.

The Department of Agriculture had allocated $19.2 million for this program for the current fiscal year, which has allowed 94 students to receive scholarships.