The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced two educational opportunities for tribal communities to cultivate the next generation of agricultural professionals and strengthen ties with tribal higher education institutions.
The USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars Program offers a fast-track career path with USDA, while the Terra Preta do Indio Tribal Faculty Fellowship engages tribal college faculty with USDA resources and research.
These programs reflect USDA’s commitment to advancing equity by removing barriers to service for tribal nations and encouraging tribal workforce development.
The announcement was made on the 29th anniversary of legislation that gave tribal colleges land-grant status.
“Tribal land-grant colleges are central to empowering a workforce that better reflects our clients in agriculture, nutrition, food, development — and at USDA,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “USDA is committed to making USDA programs and services more accessible to tribal colleges and universities and their students and faculty.”
The USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars Program provides full tuition, fees, books, a housing stipend, 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.
This year, 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).
Upon completion of the scholarship requirements, including a paid 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.
For FY 2024, 27 scholarship slots are available: Agriculture Research Service, Farm Service Agency, Farm Production and Conservation, Forest Service, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and Natural Resources Conservation Service.
The deadline for application is December 1, 2023. For further information, visit the USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars Program website or email 1994@usda.gov.
The Terra Preta do Indio Tribal Faculty Fellowship Program seeks to strengthen tribal college and university research capacity and introduce TCU faculty and staff to USDA programs and services.
In June 2024, the Faculty 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 the second week, they are placed at a USDA research facility that aligns with their academic research interests.
This year’s research collaborations will occur with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, Forest Service, and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
The Faculty Fellows return to their institution with new knowledge to benefit their community, cooperative research opportunities, and advance their tribal college land-grant mission of research, education, and extension.
The deadline for application is December 1, 2023. Learn more at USDA’s Tribal College Program website.
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