USDA scholarship for students at historically Black colleges suspended

North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC

A federal scholarship program designed to support students from underserved and rural areas attending historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) has been put on hold. Among those colleges and universities affected is North Carolina A&T State University.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has 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 1890 land-grant institutions—HBCUs designated under the Second Morrill Act of 1890.

These are the (19) 1890 universities:

• Alabama A&M University

• Alcorn State University, Mississippi

• Central State University, Ohio

• Delaware State University

• Florida A&M University

• Fort Valley State University, Georgia

• Kentucky State University

• Langston University, Oklahoma

• Lincoln University, Missouri

• North Carolina A&T State University

• Prairie View A&M University, Texas

• South Carolina State University

• Southern University, Louisiana

• Tennessee State University

• Tuskegee University, Alabama

• University of Arkansas Pine Bluff

• University of Maryland Eastern Shore

• Virginia State University

• West Virginia State University

“The 1890 Scholars Program has been suspended pending further review,” the department announced on the program's website.

The decision comes amid a broader funding freeze initiated by the Trump administration, which paused various federal programs to assess whether their spending aligned with Trump’s executive orders on climate policy, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

The 1890 Scholars Program was established in 1992, offering financial support to students who meet specific criteria, including U.S. citizenship, a minimum 3.0 GPA, acceptance into one of the 1890 land-grant universities, and a commitment to studying agriculture or related fields. Applicants must also demonstrate leadership and community service.

Just months before the suspension, the USDA had allocated $19.2 million for the program in October. For fiscal year 2024, 94 students had been awarded scholarships before the freeze took effect.

It remains unclear when or if the program will be reinstated.