A federal scholarship aimed at boosting students from underserved and rural areas attending historically Black colleges and universities has been put on hold.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture suspended the 1890 Scholars Program, which provided recipients with full tuition and fees for students studying agriculture, food or natural resource sciences at one of 19 universities, known as the 1890 land grant institutions.

It’s not clear exactly when the program was suspended, but some members of Congress first issued statements criticizing the suspension of the program on Thursday.

“The 1890 Scholars Program has been suspended pending further review,” the Department of Agriculture said in a post on the program’s website.

The suspension coincides with a funding freeze President Donald Trump’s administration instituted. Administration officials had said the pause was necessary to review whether spending aligned with Trump’s executive orders on issues like climate change and diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

A spokesperson for the department said Saturday in an email to The Associated Press that “every scholar — over 300 — regardless of matriculation date, was retained to finish their studies and complete their work with the Department.” The spokesperson added that Secretary Brooke Rollins will review the scholarship program, its mission and its metrics to ensure taxpayer resources are used efficiently.

The funding freeze has been challenged in court, with a temporary hold on the executive action already in place.

The scholarship program dates to 1992, but 1890 in the title refers to the Second Morrill Act of 1890, which established historically Black colleges and universities.

Eligibility rules include being a U.S. citizen with a GPA of 3.0 or better, along with acceptance to one of the 19 1890 land grant universities. Eligible students must also study agriculture or related fields and “demonstrate leadership and community service,” according to the department’s site.

In October, the department said it had set aside $19.2 million for the program. In fiscal year 2024, 94 students were awarded scholarships, the department said.

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Republished with permission of The Associated Press.

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Florida TaxWatch’s new analysis for economic growth in the Sunshine State in the next half decade shows steady increases. But there are areas of concern.

TaxWatch, primarily a government spending watchdog group, produces quarterly economic forecasts projecting economic development in the state along with analysis provided by the consulting firm Regional Economic Consulting Group (REC Group). And the third quarter forecast of 2024 that was published recently this month shows steady growth through 2030.

“Fueled by a strong global presence in tourism, trade, and real estate development, Florida’s economy has grown to nearly $1.5 trillion,” said Florida TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic Calabro. “Despite this impressive growth, Florida slipped from the fifteenth largest economy in the world to the sixteenth, which is why Florida TaxWatch continues to examine if Florida’s impressive economic growth is sustainable over the next several years.”

The economic gross domestic product (GDP) forecast stretches from 2024 through 2030 with several key indicators under consideration. The TaxWatch forecast in the next five years shows GDP growth dropping from 3.5% in 2024 to 3.2% in 2025. That rate remains about the same for most of the next five years, though the projection is for a drop to 3% in 2030.

“The difference between the growth rate of Florida’s GDP and the real GDP is becoming smaller. This suggests that the rate of inflation is expected to decrease in the coming years,” the forecast said.

The number of new jobs created in the state will definitely go up each year, according to the projection. But the pace of job growth could waffle. The study found there were 178,600 new jobs created in 2024, that figure will drop to about 121,900 in 2025. The forecast shows a steady decline in that figure falling to 77,900 in Florida in 2027. But that fall-off will see a turnaround in 2028 with 80,900 new jobs created and will escalate to 128,700 created in Florida in 2030.

In terms of the number of people who are in Florida, there will be an increase in population, too. The TaxWatch forecast projects the 2030 population will rise to about 24.8 million people, up by about 1.45 million people from the current population.

The one solid increase with no dispute, at least among the TaxWatch analysts, is the tourism industry will remain strong in Florida. One of the main keystones and economic drivers of Florida will continue to be visitors coming to the state for a break.

“Florida’s tourism is projected to increase steadily through 2028, and Florida’s tourism industry is projected to continue its strong growth through 2030, with more visitors expected each year. Tourism directly supports 2.1 million jobs and is responsible for $76.4 billion in employee wages. Due to the revenue tourism generates, every Florida household saves $1,910 a year on state and local taxes,” the TaxWatch forecast concluded.

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