The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has suspended a federal scholarship program that provided financial aid to students at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
The 1890 Scholars Program, which offered full tuition, room, and board for students in agriculture-related fields, has been put on hold pending a departmental review, according to the program’s website. The suspension has raised concerns among policymakers and university leaders about the future of funding for underserved students.
The scholarship program, established in 1992, was designed to support students from rural and marginalised backgrounds who wished to pursue studies in agriculture, food sciences, and natural resources. It provided funding to students at 19 historically Black land-grant institutions, including Alabama A&M, Florida A&M, North Carolina A&T, and Tuskegee University.
The USDA allocated $19.2 million for 94 scholarship recipients in 2024, according to official figures. The department has not confirmed when the suspension took effect, but concerns emerged when the program’s website was updated with a notice about the decision.
Scholarship Suspension Prompts Criticism From Lawmakers
The suspension of the 1890 Scholars Program has drawn criticism from several elected officials, particularly those advocating for HBCUs. Representative Alma Adams of North Carolina, a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee, described the decision as “a clear attack on an invaluable program”, according to Reuters.
Adams, who co-founded the Congressional HBCU Caucus, argued that the scholarship was intended to address historic funding disparities in land-grant universities rather than promote preferential treatment.
The USDA stated that the decision is part of a broader departmental review under the administration of President Donald Trump, which has sought to reassess federal funding for diversity and inclusion initiatives.
A spokesperson for the department stated that all current scholars—over 300 students—would continue their studies, despite the suspension of new applications.
However, critics fear that halting the program could disrupt educational opportunities for future students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Uncertainty Over Future Funding and Enrolment Impact
The suspension comes at a time when funding disparities between land-grant HBCUs and predominantly white institutions are already under scrutiny.
In recent months, the USDA has highlighted longstanding underfunding of Black land-grant universities, with some institutions reportedly receiving billions of dollars less than their white counterparts over the past three decades.
According to previous USDA reports, Tennessee State University (TSU) alone was underfunded by an estimated $2.1 billion.
The suspension also coincides with financial difficulties at TSU, which recently announced scholarship reductions of up to $18 million for incoming students. While it remains unclear how much the loss of the USDA scholarship will affect future enrolment, the deadline for the next round of applications was initially set for March 1.
University representatives have stated they are monitoring the situation closely but have not issued formal responses on how the funding gap might be addressed.
