Jennifer Dorsett
Field Editor
Agriculture creates more than 50,000 new jobs each year, but nearly half of those go unfilled due to a lack of graduates from agriculture-related fields.
The America’s Farmers Grow Ag Leaders program, sponsored by Bayer Fund, is working to change that with a scholarship program.
America’s Farmer’s Grow Ag Leaders awards more than $500,000 in scholarships each year while encouraging students to connect with local farmers. As part of the application process, students must seek out farmers from their area and gain an endorsement from at least two to be eligible for the scholarship.
Applicants must be a high school senior or enrolled in college full-time and planning to pursue a degree in agriculture or an agricultural-related field. A minimum grade point average of 2.5 is also required.
Recipients may use the scholarship funds in a vocational, two-year or four-year program.
The application is available through the National FFA Organization website, but students do not have to be FFA members to apply.
Once the student has completed the scholarship application, he or she will receive a unique application ID number. Students must provide the ID number to a minimum of two eligible local farmers, who then endorse the applicant.
To complete the endorsement process, farmers visit the application web page and enter the student’s application ID number, then fill out a form recommending the student.
Eligible farmers must be at least 21 years old and actively engaged in farming. All farmer endorsements must be received by Jan. 22.
Up to 352 scholarships will be awarded in 2020, with winning applications selected by the National FFA Organization. Winners will be announced on the FFA website in the spring.
Program rules, a list of eligible majors and areas of study, farmer instructions for the endorsement process and more are available here.
For more information on Texas Farm Bureau scholarships and other scholarship opportunities, click here.