The suspension of a federal scholarship program supporting agricultural students at historically Black universities — including one in Georgia — has drawn condemnation from U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff.
After news of the program’s suspension became public late last week, the Georgia Democrat on Monday called on President Donald Trump’s administration to reinstate its funding.
Calling the 1890 Scholars Program a “lifeline” for Georgia’s HBCU students, Ossoff said in a statement that its suspension, “is wrong and hurts our state.”
“I urge the Trump Administration to immediately reinstate this funding to ensure that Georgia HBCU students receive the support Congress directed to them,” Ossoff said.
Established in 1992, the program is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and 19 historically Black land-grant universities, including Fort Valley State University. The Peach County school is home to about 2,900 students, some of whom had been able to take advantage of the scholarship program that provides full tuition, fees, books, room and board. Fort Valley’s in-state tuition this year is about $5,000 and its housing rates range from roughly $5,600 to $8,000.
Credit: Alyssa Pointer / Alyssa.Pointer@ajc.com
Credit: Alyssa Pointer / Alyssa.Pointer@ajc.com
Originally designed to increase the number of students from rural and underserved communities studying food, agriculture or natural resource sciences, the program is now “suspended pending further review,” according to the USDA website. The suspension makes it among the most recent federal programs to experience a funding freeze since Trump took office last month.
It’s unclear how many FVSU students may be affected as neither Fort Valley State nor the University System of Georgia responded to a request for comment. But the USDA awarded 94 of the scholarships nationally in fiscal year 2024. And according to a 2024 edition of AGcomplish, a magazine published by the FVSU’s agricultural college, “there are 12 scholars at FVSU being sponsored by five USDA agencies and nine states.”
FVSU was promoting the program as recently as Feb. 12 in a Facebook post.
“To be clear, every scholar — over 300 — regardless of matriculation date, was retained to finish their studies and complete their work with the Department,” a USDA spokesperson said in a statement, adding that the suspension is meant to ensure efficient use of taxpayer resources, optimize operations and strengthen the USDA’s “ability to serve farmers, ranchers, and the agriculture community.”
Nonetheless, Ossoff is urging the Trump administration to reverse the decision.
“This program has been a lifeline for HBCU students in Georgia, providing learning opportunities at Fort Valley State University and empowering young Georgians who are excited and committed to contribute to our agricultural industry’s growth and innovation,” said Ossoff.
Another Georgia Democrat, U.S. Rep. David Scott, recently introduced a bill to permanently extend federal scholarship funding for students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees in food and agriculture fields at 1890s colleges and universities. The legislation proposes providing $25 million annually for the scholarship.
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
“The food and agriculture sector has a significant impact on everyday life for millions of Americans, and maintaining a strong agriculture workforce is critical in protecting our food supply,” Scott, a graduate of Florida A&M University, one of the 19 HBCUs on the list, said in a statement.
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