If you plan to major in agriculture or agribusiness, there are agriculture scholarships available. The scholarships help offset the cost of tuition. Unlike a loan, you don’t pay the money back as long as you follow the terms.
Sources of agriculture scholarships range from colleges to national organizations. A wide range of local providers also offer scholarships. These are usually for agriculture students in their region.
Another example is The California Farm Bureau Scholarship. They offer annual awards of from $1,800 to $5,000. The goal is to encourage students to pursue a career in the agricultural industry. There are similar awards in other states like Maryland, Vermont and Arizona.
Many are set aside for students who major in one aspect of agriculture studies. Some agricultural studies consist of:
Dairy farming
Agronomy
Crop and soil sciences
Food sciences
Horticulture
Plant pathology
Animal husbandry
Rural sociology
Agricultural leadership
Environmental science
Besides from majoring in one of these areas, eligible applicants may need to meet other criteria such as a specific GPA or financial need. You may also need to write an essay that describes how you plan to make an impact in the field of agriculture.
Yet other scholarships for agriculture students are more general. These may be available to students who commit to study any area related to farming.
Why College Students Should Apply for a Scholarship?
If you are planning a career in agribusiness, you might want to earn a college degree. Many occupations in this diverse field look for workers with a bachelor’s degree.
One of the careers with faster than average job growth is agriculture and food scientists. As the planet gets more crowded, there’s more demand on resources like water supply and clean air. There is also more urgency to research sustainable ways to grow food and deal with pests and climate change.
If you chose this occupation, you might earn an average annual salary of $64,020. Though there are many other opportunities. Such as rangeland management or working with soil and plants or animals.
Whatever your goals, an agriculture scholarship might bring you closer. At last check, earning an agriculture degree costs an average of $6,872. That’s if you study in-state at a public college. In contrast, tuition at an out-of-state private school averages at $28,630.
List of Agriculture Scholarships
Check out our list of agriculture scholarships below. We have 1,254 awards worth $2M.
The National Holstein Women’s Scholarship is available for students who have completed one year at a college, university or technical school. At the judges’ discretion, preference may be given to a student majoring in an agriculturally-related course of study and/or those with a strong Holstein background.
The The Paulsen Family Scholarship is provided to a graduating high school senior or undergraduate student in Sutter County or Colusa County, California. Applicants must be majoring in or planning to major in agriculture.
The Chester T. Dickerson, Sr. Memorial Scholarship is provided annually for undergraduate students who graduated from a high school in Delaware. Preference will be given to students majoring in agriculture as well as students from Cedar Creek.
The John M. Roca Memorial Scholarship is available for graduating seniors at Cape Henlopen High School who have a GPA of 3.5 or higher. Applicants must plan to major in agriculture, animal husbandry, natural resource management, pre-veterinary studies, or art. Click here to learn more and to apply today!
The J. Carl Mattson Scholarship Fund is available for graduating high school seniors at Mackay High School in Mackay, Idaho. Applicants must be active in the local Future Farmers of America and the vocational agriculture program at the school.
The Fred and Iris Dwyer Family Scholarship is available for graduating high school seniors in the counties from Burkburnett ISD, or Big Pasture High School in Randlett, Oklahoma. Applicats must be studying an agricultural related field.
The Ferne Daniel Scholarship is available for graduating seniors at Ephrata High School in Ephrata, WA. Applicants must plan to major in agriculture or education at a college or university in the State of Washington.
The Fisk and Lila Gerhardt Scholarship is available for seniors from Wenatchee High School who have a grade point average of 3.8 or higher. Applicants must plan to attend a four-year college or university upon graduation.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers several scholarships to cover students’ educational expenses. Eligible students must major in agriculture, food, natural resource sciences, or related academic disciplines. Since 2014, USDA has provided opportunities for nearly 140 scholars.
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), founded in 1957, works to create more opportunity for corn growers. The NCGA William C. Berg Academic Excellence Undergraduate Scholarship in Agriculture is available for undergraduate students member or son/daughter of an NCGA member pursuing a degree in any field.
