Ask Your Senators to Support Key No-Cost Priorities for Tribal Colleges and Universities in 2026 Farm Bill 

The Senate Agriculture Committee will mark up its 2026 Farm Bill Reauthorization on August 6, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. ET, creating a critical opportunity to advance long-overdue, no-cost improvements that strengthen and level the playing field for Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) (also known as 1994 land-grant institutions) within the land-grant system.

The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) is urging Senators to support inclusion of two bipartisan, no-cost priorities that would provide TCUs with greater flexibility to strengthen research, modernize infrastructure, and better serve Tribal communities, without increasing federal spending.

The priorities would:

(1) Allow 1994 land-grant institutions to use Research and Extension Program funds for equipment, facilities, and land acquisition; and

(2) Waive non-federal matching requirements for the Research Facilities Act and New Beginnings for Tribal Students programs.

Institution-specific examples illustrating the local impact of these provisions are available from AIHEC upon request. 

For more information, please contact Danelle Springer, AIHEC Federal Relations Associate, at dspringer@aihec.org. 

“Hello, my name is [NAME], and I am calling on behalf of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium.

I respectfully ask Senator [NAME] to encourage the Senate Agriculture Committee to include two no-cost priorities for Tribal Colleges and Universities, the nation’s 1994 land-grant institutions, in the 2026 Senate Farm Bill reauthorization.

First, allow 1994 institutions to use Research and Extension program funds for equipment, facilities, and land acquisition.

Second, waive the non-federal match requirements for the 1994 institutions in the Research Facilities Act and the New Beginnings for Tribal Students program.

These provisions require no additional federal funding but will strengthen TCUs' ability to educate students, conduct research, and serve Tribal communities.

Thank you for your leadership and for supporting Tribal Colleges and Universities.”