Agriculture Scholarships & Grants
Providing food for our tables is a top goal of farmers, a profession that has been practiced for thousands of years. As our society grows more sophisticated, so does farming. A college education in agriculture is a good way to jump-start a career in this field. Students majoring in agriculture at college can find hundreds of scholarships available to help them finance this education. Plus, many grants are available for postgraduate students and working professional.
Other People Are Reading
-
Future Farmers of America
-
Future Farmers of America (FFA) is an organization for high school students interested in agriculture. On the national level, the organization functions as a clearinghouse for scholarships for college-bound Agriculture majors. About 1,000 businesses and foundations award agriculture scholarships totaling $2 million annually through FFA. Many of the companies on the list award more than one scholarship, such as Ford Motor Co. which awards up to 500 scholarships; Cargill with 350 scholarships and Monsanto Corp. with 100 scholarships. Students fill out just one application to be considered for all the scholarships available. FFA states some of the scholarships are open to non-members.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
-
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awards scholarships and internships to Agriculture majors. One of their scholarships is the 1890 National Scholars Program that awards scholarships to students attending one of the country's historically black colleges. Recipients must be willing to work full-time for the USDA following graduation. The department also maintains a list of fellowships and grants available for people who want to work in agriculture abroad. Many agencies on the list give preference to postgraduate students or working professionals.
-
Colleges
-
A good place to look for agriculture scholarships is the College of Agriculture at the college the student wants to attend. A prime example of this is Texas A&M in College Station. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences awarded about 700 scholarships to its students in 2009. The scholarships are funded by alumni, foundations and agribusinesses.
Grants
-
Some scholarships and grants are available for students and working professionals interested in a specific area of agriculture. One such area is sustainable agriculture, with Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) providing grants to researchers, teachers, farmers and students. While students are listed as potential recipients, descriptions of the grants make them sound like they are only for researchers and those who want to educate people about sustainable agriculture.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit The Farm image by bonjo from Fotolia.com
