Higher Education Challenge Grant Modernization Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Higher Education Challenge Grant Modernization Act expands eligible applications under the Food and Agriculture Act's education grant and fellowship authority. Teaching-enhancement projects may include paid work-based learning designed to meet a need for additional trained professionals in food and agricultural sciences or in rural economic, community, and business development.
The bill authorizes $60 million for each fiscal year from 2026 through 2035. Authorization permits Congress to appropriate that amount but does not itself guarantee each annual appropriation or award.
Who Benefits and How
Colleges and universities offering food and agricultural sciences education gain grant opportunities for teaching enhancement. Students benefit from paid work-based learning and practical training. Rural economic-development programs and agricultural employers may gain a larger trained workforce. Participating employers may receive support for structured learning placements.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Federal agricultural education accounts bear costs to the extent authorized funds are appropriated. USDA grant administrators must revise competitions, assess workforce need, and monitor paid placements. College grant officers and faculty must design qualifying projects and report results. Employers hosting students must supervise paid work and coordinate educational requirements.
Key Provisions
- Expands eligible teaching-enhancement grant applications.
- Includes paid work-based learning projects.
- Targets shortages in food and agricultural sciences professionals.
- Covers rural economic, community, and business development professions.
- Authorizes $60 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2035.
- Uses an existing grant authority rather than creating a separate program.
- Requires later appropriations before the authorized funds are available.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Expands food and agricultural sciences education grants to teaching-enhancement projects with paid work-based learning for agricultural and rural-development workforce needs and authorizes $60 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2035.
Key Policy Areas
Agricultural Education, Higher Education Grants, Paid Work-Based Learning, Rural Development, Workforce Development
Primary Purpose
Expands food and agricultural sciences education grants to teaching-enhancement projects with paid work-based learning for agricultural and rural-development workforce needs and authorizes $60 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2035.
Policy Domains
Section 2 agricultural education grants and authorization
Identified Gains
- Agricultural higher-education programs
- Students in paid agricultural work-based learning
- Rural-development education programs
- Agricultural employers needing trained workers
- Rural businesses hosting work-based learners
Identified Costs
- Federal agricultural education accounts
- USDA education-grant administrators
- College grant officers
- Faculty managing work-based learning
- Employers supervising paid learners
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeReferred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Introduced in House
Mrs. McClain Delaney (for herself and Mr. Vindman) introduced the …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Agricultural higher-education programs, College grant officers, Rural-development education programs
Agricultural employers needing trained workers, Employers supervising paid learners
Federal agricultural education accounts, USDA education-grant administrators
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "student"
- → Participant in paid work-based learning
- "secretary"
- → USDA official administering section 1417
- "grant_applicant"
- → Applicant proposing a teaching-enhancement project
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
A project, including paid work-based learning, addressing trained-professional needs in food, agriculture, or rural development.
$60 million for each fiscal year from 2026 through 2035.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology