Paying for college could soon be a lot easier for Texas students.

Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) is once again offering more than $80,000 in scholarships to eligible member families.

“Local, district and state scholarships provide a great opportunity for students to earn money to further their education,” Jamie Gipe, TFB director of Organization, said. “I encourage all eligible students to apply.”

TFB’s largest scholarship award, valued at $20,000, is the S.M. True Jr. Agricultural Scholar Award.  It is awarded annually to a student who is at least a junior in college and who is majoring in an agriculture program.

Three $2,000 scholarships are also available statewide to college students who have a minimum of 45 semester hours. The Young Farmer & Rancher Scholarship for Enrolled College Students is awarded based on academic achievement and the applicant’s desire to pursue a career in an agricultural field.

The Dick Mitchell Memorial Scholarship is valued at $1,000. It’s awarded to a junior or senior in high school who has attended TFB’s Youth Leadership Conference in Stephenville.

One student in each of TFB’s 13 districts is also awarded a $1,000 Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) scholarship based on academic achievement and the applicant’s desire to pursue a career in an agricultural field.

In addition to the YF&R scholarship, four applicants from each district will be awarded a scholarship through the Texas Farm Bureau Memorial/Honorary Scholarship and District Scholarship Program. Scholarships awarded are based on academic achievement and the completion of a project that promotes agriculture.

Of the top four applications judged per each of the 13 TFB districts, the highest ranked applicant will receive a scholarship valued at $1,200.  The remaining three top applications for each district will receive a scholarship valued at $1,000 each.

“These scholarships are just another way TFB and county Farm Bureaus invest in the future of our community and state,” Gipe said.

Applications for local scholarships are available at county Farm Bureau offices.

Applications for state awards are posted online.