Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA TGP 008802
The New Beginning for Tribal Students (NBTS) Program is a competitive federal grant opportunity run by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to help land-grant colleges and universities build clear, dedicated support systems for Tribal students. The core purpose is to improve outcomes for these students by strengthening the kinds of services and resources that help students enroll, persist, and graduate. The program emphasizes identifiable, targeted support rather than general student programming, meaning institutions are expected to show how the funded activities directly serve Tribal students and contribute to higher retention and graduation rates.
Grant funds can be used for a broad range of student-focused activities, with the notice specifically highlighting recruitment and financial support such as tuition and related fees, along with experiential learning opportunities. It also calls out practical student services that often drive persistence, including tutoring, counseling, academic advising, and other wraparound supports designed to keep students on track academically and personally. The overall design of the program is to remove barriers that commonly interfere with completion, while also creating structured pathways and supportive campus experiences that encourage Tribal students to remain enrolled through graduation.
Eligibility is limited to land-grant colleges and universities, which include the 1862 land-grant institutions, the 1890 Historically Black land-grant institutions, and the 1994 Tribal land-grant institutions. The authorizing language referenced in the opportunity (7 U.S.C. 3222(e)) allows the Secretary of Agriculture to make these competitive awards, and it explicitly includes 1994 Institutions as defined in the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994. In other words, applicants must be an eligible land-grant institution within these categories to apply, and they must follow all requirements in the Request for Applications (RFA) by the deadline to remain eligible for consideration.
For purposes of this program, a "Tribal student" is defined as a student enrolled at a land-grant college or university who is a member of an Indian tribe as defined in Section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). This definition matters because it sets the boundary for who the funded services are meant to target, and institutions should be prepared to describe how their proposed services will reach and support students who meet that statutory definition.
In terms of funding size, the award ceiling is set at $500,000, and the opportunity states that the maximum amount allowable per state is $500,000 per year. Practically, that means an institution's proposal needs to be built around a budget that does not exceed that annual cap within a state. The program is listed as a discretionary grant under CFDA 10.527, with the opportunity identified as USDA NIFA TGP 008802. The agency is NIFA, and the original closing date shown for the posted opportunity was March 30, 2022, with a creation date of January 11, 2022.
Finally, the notice stresses basic compliance: applicants must meet every eligibility and submission requirement laid out in the RFA, and missing eligibility criteria by the deadline can lead to exclusion or prevent NIFA from making an award. For institutions that do not regularly apply for federal assistance, the opportunity also points applicants to NIFA's Grants Overview as a practical resource for understanding the federal grants process and expectations around awards management and compliance.Apply for USDA NIFA TGP 008802
- The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "New Beginning for Tribal Students Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.527.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2022-01-11.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-03-30. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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New Beginning for Tribal Students (NBTS) Program - FAQs
What is the New Beginning for Tribal Students (NBTS) Program?
The New Beginning for Tribal Students (NBTS) Program is a competitive federal grant opportunity run by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). It is designed to help land-grant colleges and universities build clear, dedicated support systems for Tribal students in order to improve enrollment, persistence, and graduation outcomes.
What is the main purpose of NBTS funding?
The core purpose is to improve outcomes for Tribal students by strengthening services and resources that help students enroll, stay enrolled, and graduate. The program emphasizes structured, identifiable support systems that are clearly targeted to Tribal students rather than broad or general student programming.
What does the program mean by "identifiable, targeted support"?
NBTS places emphasis on activities that can be clearly shown to directly serve Tribal students and contribute to improved retention and graduation rates. Institutions are expected to demonstrate how funded activities specifically reach Tribal students and address barriers to completion.
Who can apply for the NBTS Program?
Eligibility is limited to land-grant colleges and universities, including:
- 1862 land-grant institutions
- 1890 Historically Black land-grant institutions
- 1994 Tribal land-grant institutions
Are 1994 Tribal land-grant institutions eligible?
Yes. The authorizing language referenced in the opportunity (7 U.S.C. 3222(e)) explicitly includes 1994 Institutions as defined in the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994.
What is the definition of a "Tribal student" for this program?
For NBTS, a "Tribal student" is defined as a student enrolled at a land-grant college or university who is a member of an Indian tribe as defined in Section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
Why does the definition of "Tribal student" matter for applicants?
The definition sets the boundary for who the funded services are intended to support. Institutions should be prepared to describe how their proposed activities will reach and support students who meet the statutory definition.
What types of activities can NBTS grant funds support?
The opportunity describes a broad range of student-focused activities. It specifically highlights recruitment and financial support (including tuition and related fees), experiential learning opportunities, and practical student services that promote persistence.
Can NBTS funds be used for recruitment activities?
Yes. Recruitment is specifically highlighted in the notice as an allowable and emphasized use of funds, as long as it supports the program goal of improving outcomes for Tribal students.
Can NBTS funds be used to provide financial support for students?
Yes. The notice specifically calls out financial support such as tuition and related fees as an emphasized area for funding.
Can NBTS funds support experiential learning opportunities?
Yes. Experiential learning opportunities are specifically mentioned as an allowable use of grant funds.
What student services are emphasized for supporting persistence and graduation?
The notice highlights services that often drive persistence, including tutoring, counseling, academic advising, and other wraparound supports intended to help students stay on track academically and personally.
What is meant by "wraparound supports" in the NBTS context?
In this opportunity, wraparound supports refer to student-centered services designed to remove barriers that interfere with completion and to create supportive campus experiences that encourage Tribal students to remain enrolled through graduation.
How much funding is available per award?
The award ceiling is $500,000.
Is there a per-state maximum award amount?
Yes. The opportunity states that the maximum amount allowable per state is $500,000 per year. In practical terms, proposals need to be built around a budget that does not exceed that annual cap within a state.
What is the CFDA number for this program?
The program is listed as CFDA 10.527.
What is the opportunity identifier?
The opportunity is identified as USDA NIFA TGP 008802.
Is this a discretionary or mandatory grant program?
NBTS is listed as a discretionary grant program.
What is the key compliance message in the notice?
The notice stresses that applicants must meet every eligibility and submission requirement in the Request for Applications (RFA) by the deadline. Missing eligibility criteria or failing to meet submission requirements by the deadline can lead to exclusion or prevent NIFA from making an award.
Where should applicants look for detailed application requirements?
Applicants are expected to follow all requirements in the Request for Applications (RFA). The notice emphasizes that compliance with the RFA by the deadline is necessary to remain eligible for consideration.
What resource is suggested for institutions that do not regularly apply for federal grants?
The notice points applicants to NIFA's Grants Overview as a practical resource for understanding the federal grants process and expectations around awards management and compliance.
What were the posted creation date and closing date for this opportunity?
The posted creation date was January 11, 2022, and the original closing date shown was March 30, 2022.
Which federal agency administers the NBTS Program?
The administering agency is the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).
What is the statutory authority referenced for making these awards?
The opportunity references authorizing language at 7 U.S.C. 3222(e), which allows the Secretary of Agriculture to make competitive awards and explicitly includes eligible 1994 Institutions.
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