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 awards worth .
This scholarship is open to Delaware high school seniors who plan to pursue a degree or professional designation in agriculture (preferred) or education. Students must participate in 4-H, FFA, or other community service activities; students in the top 10 percent of their class are not eligible.
Students do not have to participate in the TBGA to be eligible for these scholarships, but those who have entered the Texas Big Game Awards will receive a preference point during the scoring process. Recipients must be able to attend their Regional TBGA Banquet in order to receive their scholarship.
This scholarship is available for U.S. and international undergraduate and graduate students who are studying sustainable agriculture. Students must attend full time. Last year, there were three $10,000 awards and three $2,500 awards given in each category (graduate and undergraduate).
This scholarship is available for U.S. graduate students who are pursuing advanced studies in agribusiness which enhance the potato industry. Each year, NPC awards a $10,000 academic scholarship to one graduate-level student conducting research for the benefit of the potato industry.