NSF AI Education Act of 2026

Key Points

• The bill creates new NSF scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students studying AI, quantum hybrid computing, AI in agriculture, AI in education, and AI in advanced manufacturing. Awards cover tuition, fees, and a stipend for up to 4 years (undergrad) or 3 years (graduate), paid directly to the institution.
• The bill sets a goal to train 1 million or more workers in AI skills by 2030 through NSF-run 'Grand Challenge' prize competitions. These challenges would also address barriers to AI education, workforce displacement concerns, increasing women's participation, and ensuring rural areas benefit.
• At least five community colleges or vocational schools would be designated as 'Centers of AI Excellence,' with at least 20% located in EPSCoR states. These centers would develop best practices for AI research and education, scale up successful programs, and identify employment pathways for students.
• Rural areas, minority-serving institutions, HBCUs, and Tribal Colleges receive explicit priority throughout the bill — for scholarships, outreach campaigns, AI resource awards, and research on teaching AI to students from low-income, rural, or Tribal populations.
• Within two years of enactment, federal agencies must publish guidance on using AI in K-12 schools, covering rural and economically distressed areas and the different uses of AI in STEM versus liberal arts.
• The bill bars any funding to institutions found in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act due to discrimination based on shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics since January 1, 2020, and prohibits any money or partnerships involving foreign countries or entities of concern.