On Friday, August 8th, 2026, President Trump announced over $180 million in grants to enhance educational and trade programs for the mining industry in the United States. The announcement was made during a roundtable at the State Department, attended by educational leaders from institutions such as the Colorado School of Mines, and government officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick.

The Department of Energy is launching a $100 million grant program designed to expand the mining and critical mineral workforce by significantly increasing the number of graduates in these fields over the next two years. This program is expected to support scholarships and other educational initiatives.

Additionally, the military is providing more than $80 million in funding to three universities: $32.7 million to the Colorado School of Mines for a technology development hub, $25 million to the South Dakota School of Mines for workforce development programs, and $23.6 million to Johns Hopkins University for a recycling-focused program. The Colorado School of Mines stated that their hub will "test and scale new technologies for mineral processing, recovery, refining, recycling and advanced materials— and ultimately move those technologies into the domestic supply chain."

The announcement comes amid concerns about the decline in mining engineering enrollment, with fewer than 600 students enrolled nationwide in 2023, down from nearly 1,500 eight years earlier, according to data from the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration and the Society of Mining Professors.

The White House also revealed a series of military investments in mining companies, battery manufacturers, and other firms involved with critical minerals, emphasizing the strategic importance of these resources. As stated, "Critical minerals are the raw materials of American strength that power everything from advanced weaponry to automobiles. We want these essential products to be mined, refined and made right here in the USA."

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