USDA scholarship program for HBCU students is suspended

A federal initiative designed to support students from underserved and rural areas attending historically Black colleges and universities was put on hold for several days, but some institutions, such as North Carolina A&T, are saying that they are again able to take applications.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture had suspended the 1890 Scholars Program, which covered full tuition and fees for students pursuing degrees in agriculture, food, or natural resource sciences at one of 19 designated 1890 land-grant institutions.

While the exact date of the start of the suspension remains unclear, some members of Congress publicly criticized the move late last week.

“The 1890 Scholars Program has been suspended pending further review,” the Department of Agriculture stated on its website at the time. However, early Tuesday, the USDA posted on its site that the application period has been reopened, and applications will be accepted through March 15.

The suspension coincided with a funding freeze enacted under President Donald Trump’s administration. Officials cited the need to evaluate whether spending aligns with Trump’s executive orders on climate policy and diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

A department spokesperson clarified via email on Saturday to The Associated Press that “every scholar — over 300 — regardless of matriculation date, was retained to finish their studies and complete their work with the Department.” The spokesperson also noted that Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins will reassess the scholarship’s mission and effectiveness to ensure efficient use of taxpayer funds.

The funding freeze had already faced legal challenges, and a temporary hold has been placed on the executive action.

The impacted universities included Alabama A&M, Florida A&M, and Tuskegee University.

The 1890 Scholars Program was established in 1992, though its name references the Second Morrill Act of 1890, which created historically Black land-grant institutions.

Eligibility requirements for the scholarship include U.S. citizenship, a GPA of 3.0 or higher, acceptance to one of the 19 universities, and a major in agriculture or related fields. Applicants must also “demonstrate leadership and community service,” according to the department.

In October, the department allocated $19.2 million for the program. During fiscal year 2024, 94 students received scholarships.

U.S. Rep. Alma Adams (D-N.C.) strongly condemned the suspension, stating, “This is a clear attack on an invaluable program that makes higher education accessible for everybody and provides opportunities for students to work at USDA, especially in the critical fields of food safety, agriculture, and natural resources that Americans rely on every single day. This program is a correction to a long history of racial discrimination within the land-grant system, not an example of it. I demand USDA immediately rescind this targeted and mean-spirited suspension and reinstate the 1890 Scholars Program, for which the deadline for students to apply was originally March 1, 2025.”

Updated: This article was updated Feb. 25, 2025, with news of applications again being accepted at at least some institutions.