USDA announces new investments in Tribal students
WASHINGTON — U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced Tribal higher education opportunities and investments to train the next generation of agricultural professionals. Secretary Vilsack announced $5 million in grants to support Tribal students at land-grant colleges and universities through the New Beginning for Tribal Students (NBTS) Program. These programs reflect USDA’s commitment to advance equity and remove barriers to service for Tribal Nations and encourage Tribal workforce development. Secretary Vilsack made the announcements at the 2024 White House Tribal Youth Forum during remarks ahead of roundtable youth discussions on food sovereignty. He also announced the opening day of the USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars Program, which offers a fast-track career path with USDA, and the Terra Preta do Indio Tribal Fellowship, which engages Tribal college faculty with USDA resources and research.
The Tribal
Scholars Program
The USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars Program provides full tuition, fees, books, and paid workforce training to any interested and eligible student pursuing degrees in agriculture, food, natural resource sciences, or related academic disciplines at a Tribal college or university. The tuition coverage can follow the student from a two-year associate program at a Tribal college or university (TCU) to a four-year bachelor’s degree program (at a TCU or another land-grant institution). When the student has completed the scholarship requirements, including a paid USDA internship, USDA may convert the student to a permanent USDA employee without further competition.
Eligible applicants include graduating high school seniors, full-time students currently enrolled at a 1994 land-grant Tribal college or university, or recent TCU associate degree graduates. Once accepted into the Tribal Scholars Program, scholarship recipients are eligible for year-over-year support until they graduate. The program timeframe begins Fall 2025 and the application deadline is Jan. 31, 2025. Visit the USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars Program or email 1994@usda.gov for further information.
Terra Preta do Indio Tribal Fellowship
This fellowship program seeks to strengthen Tribal college and university research capacity and introduce TCU faculty and staff to USDA programs and services. The program seeks faculty and staff from Tribal high schools and Tribal colleges and universities, including positions focused on agriculture, food, and natural resource sciences. In Summer 2025, all the fellows will spend a week in Washington, D.C. to meet with USDA program leads, identify areas for collaboration, and learn more about USDA resources. During a second week, the science fellows are placed at a USDA research facility that aligns with their academic research interests. The application deadline is Dec. 30, 2024. Learn more at USDA’s Tribal College Program website.
New beginning for Tribal students program
USDA also announced an investment of $5 million to support Tribal students at land-grant colleges and universities on their path to higher education. This announcement is part of USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) New Beginning for Tribal Students (NBTS) Program that supports land-grant colleges and universities. The NBTS grant program helps increase the retention and graduation rate of Tribal students attending 1994, 1862, and 1890 land-grant universities. The 15 funded awardees are: Cankdeska Cikana Community College; Colorado State University; Montana State University; Oregon State University; Regents of the University of Idaho; Salish Kootenai College; South Dakota State University; University of Alaska Fairbanks-Kuskokwim Campus; University of Alaska Fairbanks-Northwest Campus; University of Arkansas; University of Maine; University of Nevada Reno; University of Wyoming; and Utah State University (two awards).