$19 Million in HBCU Funding Suspended: Impact of Trump's Diversity Ban
Terrible
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has suspended its 1890 Scholars Program, a scholarship initiative providing crucial funding to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This suspension impacts $19 million in funding allocated for the 2024 academic year, leaving numerous students and institutions in uncertainty.
The 1890 Scholars Program offers full tuition, room, and board to students pursuing studies in food, agriculture, natural resources, and related sciences. Alabama A&M University and Tuskegee University, two land-grant institutions with significant agricultural programs, are among the 19 affected HBCUs. Alabama A&M alone had 35 students slated to receive scholarships this year.
Shannon Frank Reeves, Vice President of Government Affairs at Alabama A&M University, highlights the program's importance, stating that the scholarship recipients are pursuing high-demand fields crucial to the nation's agricultural sector. He emphasizes the potential long-term consequences of the suspension, citing factors such as wildfires, avian flu outbreaks, and the significant role of agriculture in Alabama's economy (60%). These cuts, he argues, represent an unexpected and potentially devastating blow.
While current 2024 recipients will not be affected, the future of the program remains unclear. Rodney Stone, Tuskegee University's USDA liaison, describes the situation as a "holding pattern" for 2025, with no defined timeline for review. He expresses concern for prospective applicants, indicating that the outlook for future funding is uncertain.
The suspension follows President Donald Trump's January 2025 executive order banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within federal agencies and programs. This order has already triggered significant disruptions across various sectors, including the temporary removal of a Tuskegee Airmen video from the U.S. Air Force and jeopardizing funding for the National Institutes of Health. The USDA's 1890 Scholars Program application website, which was open as recently as February 10th, now lists the scholarship as "suspended pending further review." The program had initially offered $19.2 million to 94 students in the previous year.
The suspension of this vital funding source raises serious concerns about the impact on HBCUs, the future of agricultural research, and the broader implications of the executive order banning DEI initiatives. The lack of clarity surrounding the program's future leaves students, universities, and the agricultural sector facing considerable uncertainty.
Source: $19 million in HBCU funding suspended after Trump diversity ban: ‘Not looking too good’