By Julie Tomascik
Editor

Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) is committed to empowering the youth of Texas by investing in scholarships and programs to help students develop leadership skills and a future in agriculture.

This year, TFB will award $552,000 in scholarships, and over $650,000 in scholarships is provided through county Farm Bureaus.

“Through this scholarship program, Farm Bureau is cultivating the next generation of farmers, ranchers and agricultural advocates who will sustain and strengthen our state’s agricultural legacy,” McKenna Bush, TFB Youth Outreach coordinator, said.

There are four high school scholarships available from the state’s largest general farm and ranch organization: Memorial/Honorary and District Scholarships, Young Farmer & Rancher Scholarship, Dick Mitchell Memorial Scholarship and Jana Middleton Student Success Series Scholarship.

Enrolled college students can apply for four scholarships at the state level: S.M. True Jr. Agricultural Scholar Award, Rural Veterinary Scholarship, Mia Balko Student Teaching Scholarship and Young Farmer & Rancher Scholarships for Enrolled College Students.

Instructions for scholarship applications
All scholarships require the student to be part of a TFB member-family to apply, and membership must be maintained for the duration of the scholarship.

The deadline to apply and submit completed 2025 scholarship applications online is March 3, 2025 before midnight.

Visit texasfarmbureau.org/scholarships for scholarship details, instructions and a link to the applications.

Email youthactivities@txfb.org or call 254-399-5037 with questions.

Scholarships for High School Seniors
Memorial/Honorary and District Scholarships
In each of the 13 TFB districts, one student will be awarded a $5,000 scholarship.

Three students from each district also will be awarded a $3,000 scholarship.

Young Farmer & Rancher Scholarship
High school seniors pursuing a degree in agriculture are eligible for TFB’s Young Farmer & Rancher scholarship.

Each of TFB’s 13 districts will award one $1,500 scholarship.

Dick Mitchell Scholarship
This $1,000 scholarship is awarded to one high school senior who completed the Thrive Event through TFB’s Student Success Series in August 2024.

College Scholarships
S.M. True Jr. Agricultural Scholar Award
To acknowledge former TFB President S.M. True Jr., a $25,000 scholarship was established for college students enrolled in an undergraduate degree program with at least 60 hours of college credit and declared agriculture as their major.

To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be a Farm Bureau member-family for at least three years at the time of application. Applicants must submit a completed application and two letters of recommendation—one from the county Farm Bureau president and one from the dean or head of the agricultural department of the applicant’s college or university.

Students are encouraged to apply at the end of their sophomore year for TFB’s most prestigious scholarship.

Four finalists will also receive a $5,000 scholarship.

Rural Veterinary Scholarship
The Rural Veterinary Scholarship aims to help more veterinarians pursue careers in rural communities. Four scholarships valued at $20,000 each will be awarded.

Applicants must be a second- or third-year veterinarian student at Texas A&M University or Texas Tech University with a GPA of 2.5 or higher. The applicant must also plan to enter a rural and/or food animal practice in Texas after graduation.

Four finalists will also receive a $2,500 scholarship.

Mia Balko Student Teaching Scholarship
This scholarship was renamed in honor of the late Mia Balko, who was the associate director of youth outreach which oversees the scholarship program for TFB. Prior to joining TFB, Balko was an agricultural science teacher for many years.

Four senior agricultural education students will receive the Fall 2025 Mia Balko Student Teaching Scholarship.

The scholarships, valued at $6,000 each, aim to help college students cover expenses during their semester of off-campus student teaching.

A second application process will open later this year for those student teaching in spring 2026.

Young Farmer & Rancher Enrolled Scholarship
The Young Farmer & Rancher Enrolled Scholarship is for students already in college pursuing undergraduate degrees. Applicants must have completed a minimum of 30 credit hours and a GPA of 2.5 or higher to qualify. Applicants must also intend to pursue a career in agriculture.

Three $2,500 Young Farmer & Rancher Enrolled scholarships will be awarded.

TSTC Scholarships
TFB makes scholarship funds available annually through Texas State Technical College (TSTC). There are $70,000 in scholarships available to first year and enrolled students attending TSTC.

Seventy $1,000 scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis through the Texan Success Scholarship.

The link to the TSTC scholarship applications can be found on TFB’s scholarship page at texasfarmbureau.org/scholarships. Students will need to follow up with their enrollment coach after submitting the online form to determine if they received a scholarship.

For more information
For more information about TFB scholarships, visit texasfarmbureau.org/scholarships.

Additional information about youth programs and opportunities through TFB can be found at texasfarmbureau.org/youth.