“This legislation will now allow TCUs to compete for grant funds similar to all designated land-grant institutions,” says AIHEC president and CEO Carrie Billy.

The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) has issued a statement applauding the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill. With necessary updates and enhanced provisions, the legislation includes specific provisions from the bipartisan Cultivating Resources, Opportunity, Prosperity, and Sustainability for Indian Country (CROPS) Act, introduced by Senate Indian Affairs Committee chairman John Hoeven (R-ND) and vice chairman Tom Udall (D-NM), that provides tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) with greater access to resources, tools, and partnerships essential for agricultural production, research, and increased agribusiness in Indian Country.

“AIHEC thanks Senators Hoeven and Udall for their leadership on the CROPS Act which prioritized the needs of Indian Country, including tribal colleges and universities as well as Senate and House Agriculture Committee Leadership chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS), ranking member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), chairman Michael Conaway (R-TX), and ranking member Collin Peterson (D-MN) for their tireless efforts ensuring TCUs are recognized as full members of the nation’s land-grant system,” says AIHEC’s president and CEO Carrie Billy. “This legislation will now allow TCUs to compete for grant funds similar to all designated land-grant institutions under the Smith Lever 3(d) programs, particularly the Children, Youth, and Families at Risk (CYFAR) and Federally Recognized Tribes Extension programs, and updates the 1994 land-grant list to include Red Lake Nation College.”

Other key provisions important to tribal students include an update to the McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Research Program to allow TCUs that offer an associate’s degree or a baccalaureate degree in forestry to participate, as well as a new competitive grant program for land-grant institutions entitled “New Beginnings for Tribal Students,” which provides student support services, tutoring, and career counseling to tribal students pursuing degrees in agriculture.

“We urge President Trump to quickly sign this bill into law,” says David Yarlott Jr., AIHEC’s board chair. “The 2018 Farm Bill addresses a critical number of priorities for Indian Country, including TCUs, allowing tribal students the benefits of actively participating in U.S. agricultural competitiveness.”