Mining Schools Act of 2025

Key Points

• This bill creates a new grant program to help colleges and universities train the next generation of mining professionals. The Department of Energy would give out up to 10 grants every year to schools with accredited mining or engineering programs.
• Schools would use the money to recruit more students and improve their classes. The focus is on finding and processing critical minerals and rare earth elements which are used in everything from smartphones to electric car batteries.
• The program also aims to make mining cleaner and safer. Students will learn how to recycle minerals from old mine sites and use new technologies that use less water and cause less damage to the environment.
• A new six-person board made up of industry experts and teachers will help choose which schools get the money. They will make sure the grants are spread out across different parts of the country so students can learn about the specific geology of their own regions.
• If passed, the government would spend $10 million each year from 2026 through 2033 on these grants. This is part of a larger effort to help the United States rely less on other countries for important minerals.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.