Scholarship Applications Due Soon

Illinois Farm Bureau's IAA Foundation will award 64 scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $7,500 per year for the 2013-2014 school year. Agriculture students and Illinois Farm Bureau members and their children are eligible to apply. In all, the scholarships offered will total $148,100. But the only way you'll be in the running is if you apply by Feb. 1.

"It is a great privilege to support our next generation of leaders and encourage continuing education in agricultural fields," said Susan Moore, IAA Foundation director.

Students may apply for a variety of scholarships, including the Illinois Farm Bureau Legacy of Leadership Scholarship, which is new this year.

• One $7,500 Legacy scholarship is available for students who are beginning their junior year, attending a four-year university in Illinois, majoring in a field related to the direct support of the agriculture industry, and who illustrate exemplary leadership.
• Three $7,500 general scholarship are available to students accepted for enrollment or enrolled at an accredited
  college, university, or community college in the State of Illinois.
• Another two $1,000 scholarships, and a $1,100 IAA Foundation scholarship are available and may be used at any accredited university, college, or community college in the nation for the study of agriculture, agribusiness, or an agriculture-related major.
• Three Robert Rouse $1,100 scholarships are available for students who are studying agriculture or nursing, with preference given to Lake County residents.
• The William Kuhfuss $1,000 scholarship is available for a student with an agricultural background or studying agriculture at an Illinois postsecondary institution.
• The Greg Carney $1,500 scholarship is available to a University of Illinois student who is actively involved in production agriculture and a current or former 4-H member.
• The Dale Butz $1,000 scholarship is for a student involved in production agriculture attending any educational institution.
• The Illinois Award $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to a graduating high school senior who is majoring in a agriculture or agriculture-related field. Priority will be given to students from Cass, Morgan, Stark, and Henry counties.
• The Walter J. and Martha J. Wills $1,200 scholarship will be awarded to a student at Southern Illinois University with a major in an agriculture program.
• Two $1,000 Heartland National Agri-Marketing Association Steven A. Hammerschmidt Memorial Scholarships will be awarded to a junior- or senior-level college student majoring in agriculture or agribusiness with an interest in agriculture marketing, sales, or communications at Illinois State University (ISU) and the U of I (one scholarship for a student at each university).
• Ten $4,000 scholarships will be awarded to students majoring in crop science at an Illinois university. The university must offer an agricultural course of study with a major in crop production or crop science discipline and must provide an emphasis on soybeans.
• Twelve additional scholarships of $2,000 each are funded by Prairie Farms Dairy as a tribute to former Prairie Farms Dairy executives Fletcher Gourley, Leonard Southwell, and Roger Capps. The scholarships are for children of Prairie Farms Dairy employees and producers who sell milk to Prairie Farms.
• A total of 20 Dorothy and Wilhelmine Ratermann $1,000 scholarships are available to residents of Southern Illinois counties. The scholarships may be applied toward any major at any accredited university, college, or community college in the nation.

All applicants must be high school seniors accepted for enrollment or students already enrolled at an accredited college, university, or community college.

Scholarships are awarded for exceptional academic ability, leadership, and financial need. Previous winners of an IAA Foundation scholarship are eligible to apply again.

Full eligibility guidelines, applications, and an activities template are available at the IAA Foundation website.

Students attending Illinois State University with declared majors in the Department of Agriculture who are selected for an IAA Foundation scholarship may be eligible for an additional award from the university.

Completed applications must be postmarked on or before February 1, 2013.

For more information, contact your county Farm Bureau, the IAA Foundation at 309- 557-2230, or email charmsgarman@ilfb.org.