The program aids HBCU students who major in agriculture and natural sciences.
According to 8News, Virginia State University confirmed that 16 enrolled students have already received the comprehensive scholarship, which usually covers full tuition, room and board, and other fees.
“I was kind of getting excited because I [was] like, ‘Man, if I can get the scholarship, the rest of my expenses for the semester can be paid off,’” said VSU freshman Tobias Clark. “But I had applied, woke up the next morning and found out it had been suspended.
Fortunately, for applicants and current recipients, the USDA lifted the program’s suspension on Feb. 24. Nobody explained why the program was postponed, but many assume it stemmed from President Donald Trump’s executive order eliminating DEI efforts and initiatives.
On Feb. 19, the scholarship’s website revealed that the program was suspended “pending further review,” causing massive confusion and outrage. Reps. Alma Adams (D-NC) and Jonathan L. Jackson (D-IL) publicly condemned the move, with the latter calling it “calculated and unacceptable.”
He added, “The more Black faces we get in any field—even outside of agriculture—is going to push more Black individuals to go into those fields and…it’ll just be good for the community as a whole.”
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Source: Black Enterprise
