Major Wins for Land Grant HBCUs in 2018 Farm Bill
1890 Foundation Applauds Major Wins for Universities and Students
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by 1890 Foundation | 1890foundation.org
The 1890 Universities Foundation, working with members of the House and Senate, Congressional staff and several partners, recently applauded the significant policy enhancements and increased funding for 1890 Land Grant Universities in the 2018 Farm Bill recently signed into law.
Two Major Funding Opportunities
The Foundation was particularly pleased with two new funding initiatives. One of these initiatives will provide $10 million per year to create Centers of Excellence in the Food and Agricultural Sciences, Teaching, Research and Extension mission areas. The other will provide scholarships — $40 Million in mandatory funding and $10 million per year in discretionary funding — in Food and Agriculture Science disciplines to support students while, ultimately, boosting enrollment over the next several years.
New Policy Tackles Old Disparities
On the policy side, several years of disparity created by a provision of 20 percent maximum carryover annually was removed. Another provision which created a challenge for the 1890 Universities is the required state match of federal appropriations. While other universities receive over and above their state matching requirements, only a few 1890 Universities have received more than 50 percent of what was required. The 2018 Farm Bill requires States to report to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and ultimately Congress their respective matching support to each university.
“The legislative gains in this Farm Bill for our universities are significant, welcomed and needed,” said Dr. Mortimer Neufville, President and CEO of the 1890 Universities Foundation. “We are grateful to the members of Congress, their staff and Administration officials who have worked with our member Universities over the last few years to achieve these outcomes. Our Universities and the country will benefit greatly,” concluded Dr. Neufville.
What is the “1890 Universities Foundation?”
Established December 2016, the 1890 Universities Foundation (“Foundation”) supports the core missions of teaching, research and extension across the nineteen 1890 land grant universities in the United States. It is organized and operated exclusively as a 501(c)3 charitable and educational organization.
The 1890 Universities Foundation mobilizes and manages resources to facilitate broad based programs, initiatives, and approaches across the 1890 universities system. We provide a mechanism for the universities to respond to new and emerging issues and challenges in the 21st century. As we foster critical collaborative projects across the 1890 universities, our objective is to discover practical and meaningful solutions to the compelling economic, social and environmental challenges faced by our communities today.
The following 19 member universities were designated as such through the Morrill Land Grand Act of 1890:
North Carolina A&T State University
South Carolina State University
University of Arkansas Pine Bluff
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
West Virginia State University
In conjunction with university partners, the Foundation acts as an innovative and adaptable resource for the 1890 university system through mobilization and management of capital and forging collaborative partnerships. Additionally, the Foundation builds unique partnerships with key federal and private sector entities including the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).