West Virginia State University Receives $752,000 in Scholarship Funding from USDA

5/1/2020

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Contact: Jack Bailey
(304) 766-4109
jbaile19@wvstateu.edu
     
INSTITUTE, W.Va. – West Virginia State University (WVSU) will receive more than $750,000 in scholarship funding from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support new programs that will prepare students for careers in the food and agriculture industries. Applications are now being accepted for the 1890 Scholarship Program, which will provide funding for undergraduate students majoring in plant and soil science, agribusiness and agricultural economics. The new degree options will launch this fall.

Funded by Congress and administered by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), scholarships will be made available to eligible students majoring in one of the following options and concentrations:

• Bachelor of Science in Biology: Option in Plant-Soil Science
• Bachelor of Science in Business Administration: Concentration in Agribusiness
• Bachelor of Arts in Economics: Concentration in Agricultural Economics

“These new degree programs provide yet another opportunity for West Virginia State to fulfill its mission as an 1890 land-grant university,” said Associate Vice President for Research Dr. José Ulises Toledo. “This funding will enable us to invest in our students and in the future of agriculture for West Virginia and beyond.”

WVSU President Anthony L. Jenkins worked alongside members of the U.S. Congress to ensure funding for the 1890 Scholarships Program was included in the historic 2018 Farm Bill.

“Providing instruction in agriculture is part of our land-grant mission, and I commend our Academic Affairs and Research and Public Service units in the development of these exciting new offerings,” Jenkins said.

The 1890 Scholarships Program provides scholarships to support recruiting, engaging, retaining, mentoring and training of undergraduate students at the 1890 land-grant institutions. WVSU is one of 19 such institutions in the nation, each of which will receive $752,632 in fiscal year 2020 for scholarship support.

Additional funding in the amount of $500,000 will be provided to WVSU each year through 2023, contingent upon available funds.

The scholarships are intended to encourage outstanding students at 1890 institutions to pursue and complete baccalaureate degrees in the food and agricultural sciences and related fields. By developing a highly skilled workforce, the 1890 Scholarships Program helps facilitate rural prosperity and economic development aligning with USDA’s strategic goals.

Full and partial scholarships will be provided to successful applicants that include support for such costs as tuition, room and board, books and supplies, and meals. Students can learn about scholarship requirements and apply at wvstateu.edu/scholarships.

WVSU’s 1890 Scholarships Program is supported by USDA NIFA Award No. 2020-38430-31313.

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West Virginia State University is a public, land grant, historically black university, which has evolved into a fully accessible, racially integrated, and multi‐generational institution, located in Institute, W.Va. As a “living laboratory of human relations,” the university is a community of students, staff, and faculty committed to academic growth, service and preservation of the racial and cultural diversity of the institution. Its mission is to meet the higher education and economic development needs of the state and region through innovative teaching and applied research.