Higher Education - Multicultural Scholars Grant Program (10.220)
Higher Education - Multicultural Scholars Grant Program (Assistance Listing 10.220) is run by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, part of the Department of Agriculture. It awarded $5.7 million in 29 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $197,067 per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $241,400. Half of the 29 awards fell between $200,000 and $247,500, and they ranged from $140,860 to $250,000.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$5.7 million
- Grant awards29
- Typical award$241,400
- Awarded in FY 2025-$165,832
- Size rank1,600 of 1,823
- Type of assistanceProject grants
Key findings
- It is the 1600th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 99% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 19 states and territories.
What the program funds
The Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program provides support to students to help them complete their bachelor’s degree in the Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources, Human (FANH) Sciences or Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in order to successfully join the food and agricultural workforce. The purpose of the Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program is to increase the diversity of the food and agricultural scientific and professional workforce, and advance the educational achievement of all Americans by providing competitive grants to colleges and universities. Colleges and Universities can use this funding to support undergraduate scholarships and related experiential learning opportunities leading to the completion of a Bachelor’s degree in the FANH Sciences or a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Past notices
Of 3 notices posted under this program since 2021, most went up in January (1), February (1) and March (1).
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
Only the following are eligible to apply: Land-Grant Institutions, Colleges and universities having significant minority enrollments, other colleges and universities, and Institutes or research foundations maintained by an eligible college or university. Institutions that have not previously applied are especially encouraged to do so. Applicants must be institutions that confer a bachelor’s or D.V.M. degree in at least one of the disciplines in the food and agricultural sciences. Awards are made to eligible colleges and universities. Individuals are not eligible to apply for these grants. Project Directors who have received MSP awards in the last five years may also apply. However, the respective proposal must differ substantively in scope and objectives from previously funded MSP projects in the last five years by the same Project Director.
What the money can and cannot pay for
Competitive annual grants to selected U.S. institutions of higher education provide for a limited number of four-year undergraduate scholarships to support minority students pursuing baccalaureate degrees in the food and agricultural sciences. Institutions also receive an annual cost-of-education allowance for each scholar supported by a grant. The scholars are selected by the institutions and students must apply for the scholarships through procedures established by the individual institutions. No scholarship grants are made directly to students and students cannot apply directly to USDA for scholarships. Scholarship monies may be used for tuition, fees, room, board, and other educational expenses as announced in a Federal Register notice inviting applications for new awards. The institutional cost-of-education allowance may be used by the selected institutions to defray program expenses including, but not limited to, travel and publications costs incurred for student recruitment, and salaries of project personnel. Indirect cost is not allowable. Pursuant to 7 U.S.C. 3152(b), no indirect costs may be recovered under the MSP Program. Funds are restricted to the clearly designated uses found within the RFA. For Award Category No. 2 Proposals, the budget sharing criteria are: (i) no single institution may receive more than forty percent (40%) and (ii) any institution may not receive less than fifteen percent (15%) of the requested funding for the baccalaureate and/or D.V.M.
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Deadlines
Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines
Award range and average, in the agency's words
If minimum or maximum amounts of funding per competitive and/or capacity project grant, or cooperative agreement are established, these amounts will be announced in the annual Competitive Request for Application (RFA). The most current RFA is available via: https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/higher-education-multicultural-scholars-program-msp
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Higher Education - Multicultural Scholars Grant Program (10.220) awarded $5.7 million across 29 grant awards, an average of $197,067 per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Arizona | Arizona | 3 | $694,664 |
| Oregon State University | Oregon | 3 | $608,482 |
| University of Florida | Florida | 2 | $416,428 |
| University of California, Davis | California | 1 | $250,000 |
| Rutgers, the State University | New Jersey | 1 | $250,000 |
| Idaho State University | Idaho | 1 | $249,989 |
| Delaware State University | Delaware | 1 | $249,960 |
| Cornell University | New York | 1 | $247,500 |
| The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | Texas | 1 | $247,500 |
| Regents of the University of Idaho | Idaho | 1 | $247,500 |
| North Carolina State University | North Carolina | 1 | $242,657 |
| California State University, Fresno Foundation | California | 1 | $241,400 |
| Kansas State University | Kansas | 1 | $239,726 |
| Michigan State University Foundation | Michigan | 1 | $231,692 |
| Purdue University | Indiana | 1 | $225,927 |
| Utah State University | Utah | 1 | $217,678 |
| Division of Agriculture of the University of Arkansas | Arkansas | 1 | $213,532 |
| University of Tennessee | Tennessee | 1 | $200,000 |
| Cal Poly Corporation | California | 1 | $196,733 |
| Texas Tech University System | Texas | 1 | $192,575 |
Who usually wins
Almost all of the money went to colleges and universities.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges and universities | 29 | $5.7 million | 100% |
By state
No state received $1 million or 10 awards from this program, so it has no state pages.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 3 | $694,664 |
| California | 3 | $654,647 |
| Oregon | 3 | $608,482 |
| Florida | 3 | $594,212 |
| Idaho | 2 | $497,489 |
| Texas | 2 | $440,075 |
| New Jersey | 1 | $250,000 |
| Delaware | 1 | $249,960 |
| New York | 1 | $247,500 |
| Kansas | 1 | $239,726 |
| Michigan | 1 | $231,692 |
| Indiana | 1 | $225,927 |
| Utah | 1 | $217,678 |
| Arkansas | 1 | $213,532 |
| Tennessee | 1 | $199,748 |
| North Carolina | 1 | $190,914 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | $179,516 |
| Virginia | 1 | $172,947 |
| Colorado | 1 | $140,860 |