TFB offering over $200,000 in scholarships
Bandera County students are encouraged to apply for more than $200,000 in Texas Farm Bureau college scholarships offered on the local, district and state levels.
“Scholarships and awards are an excellent opportunity for Farm Bureau families to earn money to pursue their education,” Bandera County Farm Bureau President Booker Young said. “We encourage all eligible students to apply.”
There are three high school scholarships available: Memorial/Honorary District Scholarship, Young Farmer & Rancher Scholarship and the Dick Mitchell Memorial Scholarship.
Enrolled college students can apply for four scholarships: Young Farmer & Rancher Scholarships for Enrolled College Students, TFB S.M. True Jr. Agricultural Scholar Award, Mia Balko Student Teaching Scholarship and the Rural Veterinary Scholarship.
High school scholarships
Memorial/Honorary District scholarships are available to high school students who have not yet graduated. Thirty-nine $1,000 scholarships and 13 $1,500 scholarships are awarded annually on the district level.
Thirteen $1,000 scholarships are awarded to high school students through the TFB Young Farmer & Rancher Scholarship based on academic achievement and the applicant’s desire to pursue a career in an agricultural-related field.
The TFB Dick Mitchell Scholarship, a $1,000 award, is designated for one high school senior who completed the virtual Thrive Experience as part of TFB’s Student Success Series this summer.
Collegiate scholarships
The TFB Young Farmer & Rancher Enrolled College Student scholarship offers
three $2,000 scholarships to students pursuing an undergraduate degree in an agriculture major.
College students pursuing a degree in Agricultural Education can apply for the Mia Balko Student Teaching Scholarship. Four senior agricultural education students will receive scholarships each semester. The scholarships, valued at $1,500, aim to help students cover expenses during their semester of off-campus student teaching. Students who will be student teaching off-campus in fall 2022 are encouraged to apply.
TFB’s S.M. True Jr. Agricultural Scholar Award offers $20,000 total to a deserving student who is at least a junior pursuing an undergraduate degree in an agriculture major. The Rural Veterinary Scholarship is new this year. Four scholarships valued at $10,000 each will be awarded. To be eligible for the scholarship, students 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.
TFB also has made scholarship funds available to first-year and enrolled students attending Texas State Technical College (TSTC). Twenty-five $1,000 scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis through the Texan Success Scholarship. Another $10,000 is available through the “helping hands” scholarship, which is meant to help students with unexpected costs that are not usually covered by traditional scholarships. TSTC scholarships are available at https://www.tstc. edu/admissions/financial-aid/ scholarships/.
“These scholarships and awards are another way county Farm Bureaus and Texas Farm Bureau invest in the future of our community, state and Texas agriculture,” Booker said.
TFB scholarship applications are due online by March 1, 2022, and Bandera County Farm Bureau Scholarships are due to the county office by March 31, 2022.
Applications and requirements for state awards are available at https://texasfarmbureau. org/youth/youth-opportunities.