Van Hollen, Cardin Announce More Than $750,000 for Food and Agricultural Science Scholarships at University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) announced that University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) in Princess Anne, Maryland will receive $752,632 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). This funding will provide scholarships to encourage UMES students to pursue baccalaureate degrees in the food and agriculture sciences, providing financial aid, robust supports, and mentoring.
“Maryland’s agriculture sector is vital to the Eastern Shore and to our state’s economy. And now COVID-19 brings with it unprecedented challenges for this industry and its declining workforce. That makes investing in our farmers of the future all the more critical. These scholarships will help encourage students to pursue the skills necessary to keep the agricultural sector thriving, and there’s no better place to learn those skills than at UMES,” said Senator Van Hollen.
“The ongoing public health emergency has made clear to all of us the importance of a strong food and agricultural system,” said Senator Cardin. “UMES has a long track record of success in agricultural education, these federal funds will give students the resources to succeed in careers in this field, with long-term benefits for the local and state economies.”
“This grant provides a wonderful opportunity for UMES to recruit and train a skilled workforce in agriculture, food, natural resources, and human sciences where there is currently a serious deficit of trained personnel. These areas are critical to the economic fabric of the Eastern Shore, the State, and the nation,” said Dr. Heidi M. Anderson, President of University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
These funds for UMES and the 18 other 1890 land-grant institutions throughout the United States were awarded through NIFA’s 1890 Scholarships Program, which was established by the 2018 Farm Bill. More information on the 1890 Scholarships Program is available here.