Federal bill could bring more agriculture education funds to Mississippi community colleges
A pair of Mississippi lawmakers is pushing bipartisan legislation aimed at expanding agricultural workforce training and education programs at community colleges across the nation.
U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly and U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, both Mississippi Republicans, are touting the Community College Agriculture Advancement Act. The measure would amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to give community colleges greater access to federal grant funding to develop and expand educational programs focused on careers in the agricultural sector.
Community and technical colleges have historically received less federal support than four-year institutions, despite serving as a critical pipeline for Mississippi’s agricultural workforce, the lawmakers assert.
Specifically, the legislation would establish a competitive U.S. Department of Agriculture grant program where the nation’s nearly 1,100 community colleges would apply for money to fund workforce tra…