In 1988, Congress established the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, also known as the Space Grant, and one year later NASA began implementing the program. Space Grant allots money to 52 university-based Space Grant consortia to fund research, education and public service projects. These consortia direct programs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico and have 703 affiliates, including 493 academic institutions and 62 businesses. Since its inception, Space Grant has awarded over 12,000 U.S. citizens with tuition assistance in science, engineering and related fields of study.
Many states send their money directly to minority programs.
The programs have been so successful that they plan to continue them every year. The people that we're working with now seem to be taking advantage of these funds and implementing them in a way where the students are getting the best benefit for the dollar. Many states use the money for the same purpose year after year. Ohio's Space Grant Consortium, for example, gives out 60 scholarships annually, many of those to minorities, with its grant money.