USDA 1890 National Scholars Program

The USDA 1890 National Scholars Program was established in 1992 as part of the partnership between USDA and the 1890 land-grant universities.

The e-application for the USDA 1890 National Scholars Program will be available from January 7 through March 8, 2026.

Application Portal

The USDA 1890 National Scholars Program was established in 1992 as part of the partnership between USDA and the 1890 land-grant universities. The USDA 1890 National Scholars Program offers scholarships to U.S. citizens who are seeking a bachelor’s degree at one of the nineteen 1890 Land-Grant Universities in the fields of food, agriculture, natural resource sciences or other related disciplines.

The 1890 National Scholars Program provides full tuition, fees, books, room and board, and a summer internship which may convert to full-time employment with USDA after graduation. High school and college students who are U.S. citizens are eligible to apply.

These are the (19) 1890 universities:

Alabama A&M University
Alcorn State University, Mississippi
Central State University, Ohio
Delaware State University
Florida A&M University
Fort Valley State University, Georgia
Kentucky State University
Langston University, Oklahoma
Lincoln University, Missouri
North Carolina A&T State University
Prairie View A&M University, Texas
South Carolina State University
Southern University, Louisiana
Tennessee State University
Tuskegee University, Alabama
University of Arkansas Pine Bluff
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Virginia State University
West Virginia State University

Study Disciplines

USDA 1890 National Scholars are required to study one of the following disciplines:

Agriculture
Agricultural Business/Management
Agricultural Economics
Agricultural Engineering/Mechanics
Agricultural Production and Technology
Agronomy or Crop Science
Animal Sciences
Botany
Food Sciences/Technology
Forestry and Related Sciences
Home Economics/Nutrition
Horticulture
Natural Resources Management
Soil Conservation/Soil Science
Farm and Range Management
Other related disciplines, (e.g. non-medical biological sciences, pre-veterinary medicine, computer science)

The Award

The scholarship may be renewed each year, contingent upon satisfactory academic performance and normal progress toward a bachelor's degree.

General Eligibility

To be eligible for the USDA/1890 National Scholars Program scholarship, a student must:

Be a U.S. citizen
Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better (on a 4.0 scale)
Have a minimum of 21 ACT, 1080 SAT scores
Have been accepted for admission or currently attending one of the nineteen 1890 Land-Grant Universities.
Study agriculture, food, natural resource sciences, or other related academic disciplines
Demonstrate leadership and community service
Submit an official transcript, from each high school and college attended, with an authorized official's signature
Submit a 250-500 word essay for each of the following questions:
- How will the USDA 1890 National Scholarship support your career aspirations? If there is a particular mission area within USDA that also supports your career aspirations, please indicate that mission area.
- What factors have influenced your decision to pursue academic studies in agriculture, food, natural resource sciences, or a supporting discipline (such as economics, computer science, accounting, etc.)?
Submit completed application

Who Should Apply

The USDA 1890 National Scholars Program is open to high school seniors entering their freshman year of college, and rising college sophomores and juniors.

For any questions regarding the USDA/1890 National Scholars Program, please contact:

Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement
USDA 1890 Programs
1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Stop 0601
Washington, DC 20250
Email: 1890init@usda.gov