USDA Funding for HSIs

Administered by USDA-NIFA, the Hispanic-Serving Institutions Education Grants Program is currently funded at $16 million for FY 2024.

HACU is pushing for a substantial increases to meet the growing needs of HSIs due to historically chronic underfunding.

Under the Farm Bill Reauthorization, HACU requests:

• $100 million under the Farm Bill for HSI Education Grants
• Create a new category of Land Grant HSACUs and authorize annual funding to provide capacity building grants based on a formula and dollar-for-dollar state matching funds as follows:
  • Capacity Grants:
    • $180 million for extension capacity grants
    • $210 million for research capacity grants

• • Competitive Grants:
    • $72 million for improving institutional capacity in food and agricultural sciences
    • $30 million for scholarships for students to pursue careers in agriculture and food sciences

HACU requests that all programs under the Farm Bill – Hispanic-Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities (HSACUs) be appropriated at the following levels. To date, none of these programs have been funded.

• $100 million for the HSACU Endowment Program
• $40 million for the HSACU Equity Grants Program
• $80 million for the HSACU Institutional Capacity-Building Grant Program
• $80 million for the HSACU Basic and Applied Research Grant Program
• $80 million for the National Resources Leadership Program
• $80 million for the HSACU Extension Grants
• $30 million for the HSACU Training Hispanic Agricultural Workers Grants