American Indian Colleges Are Now Land-Grants

By Scott Jaschik

Washington, D.C. -- President Clinton has signed legislation declaring 29 tribally controlled colleges to be land-grant institutions.

Although the law does not give the tribal colleges access to existing Agriculture Department programs that support research and extension programs at the country's land-grant institutions, it authorizes the creation of new grants and an endowment to support the American Indian colleges.

The colleges plan to use the grants for a variety of new