USDA Now Accepting Applications for the 1890 National Scholars Program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting applications for the USDA 1890 National Scholars Program, which aims to encourage students at 1890 land-grant universities to pursue food and agriculture career paths. The application deadline is March 1, 2024.

Young people around the country are invited to complete and submit their applications online through an e-application. Administered through USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE), the USDA 1890 National Scholars Program is available to eligible high school seniors entering their freshman year of college as well as rising college sophomores and juniors.

“The USDA 1890 National Scholars Program helps to create a pipeline of skilled employees for USDA and the United States agriculture sector,” said Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement Director Lisa Ramirez. “By introducing young people to the array of needs and priorities in food, agriculture and natural resources, the program supports USDA’s efforts to provide career opportunities for the next generation of leaders in food and agriculture.”

The USDA 1890 National Scholars Program is a partnership between USDA and the 19 historically Black land-grant universities that were established in the Morrill Land Grand Act of 1890. USDA partners with these 1890 universities to provide scholarship recipients with full tuition, fees, books, and room and board. Scholarship recipients attend one of the 1890 universities and pursue degrees in agriculture, food, natural resource sciences, or related academic disciplines. The scholarship also includes work experience at USDA through summer internships. Scholars accepted into the program are eligible for noncompetitive conversion to a permanent appointment with USDA upon successful completion of their degree requirements by the end of the agreement period. The USDA 1890 National Scholars Program awarded 100 scholarships in the 2023 cohort of 1890 Scholars.

Learn more and apply online at USDA 1890 National Scholars Program. For more information, contact partnerships@usda.gov.

USDA has a long history of investing in and supporting historically Black universities, especially the 19 members of the 1890 universities system: Alabama A&M, Alcorn State University, Central State University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Langston University, Lincoln University, North Carolina A&T State University, Prairie View A&M University, South Carolina State University, Southern University and A&M College, Tennessee State University, Tuskegee University, University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Virginia State University, and West Virginia State University.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

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