Scholarships for Students at 1890 Institutions (1890 Scholarships)

The 1890 Scholarships Program, administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provides financial support to undergraduate and graduate students at 1890 Land-grant institutions to pursue degrees in food and agricultural sciences, with the goal of building a skilled workforce in these critical fields. This grant opportunity, solicited under number USDA-NIFA-1890SS-011978, is open to institutions seeking funding to recruit, retain, mentor, and train students through scholarships covering tuition, mandatory fees, room and board, and textbooks. Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov by September 10, 2026, and are evaluated on four equally weighted factors: potential to strengthen the food and agricultural workforce, quality and clarity of the proposal, effectiveness of program management including mentoring and retention strategies, and capacity for reporting and program evaluation. Awards are not based on cost or price, and cost sharing is neither required nor considered during review. Proposals must include a project narrative of no more than fifteen pages plus two additional pages for figures and tables, an institutional letter verifying alignment with the institution’s strategic plan, a data management plan addressing student confidentiality, and a table of expected outcomes integrated into the narrative. Funding is restricted to direct student support costs, with no indirect costs allowed and graduate student funding capped at 30% of the annual award. Key personnel changes, budget modifications, and subcontracting exceeding 50% of funds require prior approval from NIFA, and salary rates may not exceed Executive Level IV without authorization. Institutions must comply with 2 CFR Part 200, 2 CFR Chapter IV, and 7 CFR Part 3430, and manage all data and reporting in accordance with federal guidelines. The total estimated funding available ranges from $21.2 million to $67.2 million across multiple years, contingent on appropriations and program performance. No contract-type clauses, packaging requirements, or invoicing systems apply as this is a federal grant, not a procurement contract, and oversight is handled through grant administration protocols rather than traditional contracting mechanisms.