The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing in Tribal higher education opportunities to train the next generation of agricultural professionals….and one of the eligible schools is South Dakota State University in Brookings.
Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says the programs remove barriers to service for Tribal Nations and encourage Tribal workforce development.
Vilsack says $5 million will support Tribal students at land-grant colleges and universities– including SDSU– 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).ative American students and communities through higher education.”
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 January 31, 2025. Visit the USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars Program or email 1994@usda.gov for further information.
The Terra Preta do Indio Tribal 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 research collaborations will take place with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. The program allows the fellows to return to their institution with new knowledge to benefit their community, enhance cooperative research opportunities, and advance their Tribal college land-grant mission of research, education, and extension. The application deadline is December 30, 2024.
This year marks the 30th anniversary since Tribal colleges joined the land-grant college network through the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994. This Act authorized Tribal colleges and universities to receive federal support and train future agricultural professionals. There are 36 federally recognized Tribal colleges and universities that are designated as land-grant institutions. Collectively, they enroll more than 15,000 students and provide vital services to more than 120,000 Tribal community members annually. These institutions provide high school completion, job training, college preparatory courses, and adult basic education programs. They serve as community libraries and centers, Tribal archives, career and business centers, economic development centers, public meeting places, and elder and childcare centers. Tribal colleges offer the distinctive land-grant mix of research, education, and extension, while framing that education in the context of Native American history, Indigenous knowledge and traditions, and Tribal self-determination. Recently, the Department announced a renewed partnership with Tribal colleges and universities.
Vilsack made the announcements at the 2024 White House Tribal Youth Forum during remarks ahead of roundtable youth discussions on food sovereignty.
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