Frequently Asked Questions

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Be a U.S. citizen
• Reside within the Farm Credit Foundation for Agricultural Advancement's eligible service area
• Be a high school senior or a student currently enrolled in an accredited two-year college, four-year college or university, or technical school
• Be planning to pursue a career in agriculture

The Foundation's service area includes:

• Delaware
• Pennsylvania
• Washington, D.C.
• Maryland: Baltimore, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Dorchester, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Kent, Montgomery, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties
• Virginia: Accomack, Clarke, Frederick, Northampton, Page, Shenandoah, and Warren Counties
• West Virginia: Berkeley, Brooke, Hancock, Jefferson, Marshall, Morgan, and Ohio Counties

Don't reside in that territory? Many other Farm Credit associations offer scholarships in their local area. Find your local Farm Credit association at FarmCredit.com.  

Agricultural careers encompass a wide range of professions that support the production of food, fiber, fuel, and natural resources. These careers include, but are not limited to, farmers, agribusiness professionals, animal scientists, crop and soil specialists, agricultural engineers, agricultural equipment technicians, agricultural educators, agricultural communicators and marketers, food production and processing professionals, food scientists, foresters, natural resource and environmental specialists, large animal veterinarians, and other occupations that directly support the agriculture and food system. 

Yes. Current and former Horizon Farm Credit interns are eligible to apply, provided they meet all other scholarship eligibility requirements. 

No. Horizon Farm Credit employees, officers, directors, and their immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, sibling and their respective spouses and/or those living in the same household of each whether or not they are related) are not eligible to apply. 

Eligible students can submit their application online at FCFoundationforAg.org by clicking the "Apply Now" button during the application period. 

In addition to the written application and essays, additional required documents include:

• Recent Transcript(s)
• A one-page updated resume
• Two letters of recommendation 

Two letters are required:

• One letter must be from a teacher, professor, or employer.
• The second may be from a teacher, professor, employer, or another individual familiar with your agricultural involvement and achievements.

Letters must:

• Be dated on or after the application’s open date,
• Include the recommender's contact information
• Explain the applicant's strengths and potential in agriculture
• Not be written by a family member or an agent of Horizon Farm Credit or the Foundation 

Yes. Letters of recommendation may be submitted separately from the application. The Foundation understands that some recommenders may prefer to send their letter directly rather than provide it to the applicant. In these cases, recommendation letters can be emailed directly to info@fcfoundationforag.org. 

Scholarship funds may be used for one or more of the following:

• Tuition
• Room and board
• Textbooks and academic learning materials
• Costs associated with summer or winter classes
• School-administered study abroad programs that count toward graduation requirements

Scholarship funds may not be used for:

• Educational or professional conferences
• Research-related expenses
• Any educational expenses outside the approved categories listed above 

Recipients may receive up to four scholarships from the Farm Credit Foundation for Agricultural Advancement throughout their educational career. 

Scholarship recipients will be notified of their award status in March. All applicants will receive communication regarding the outcome of their application once the review process has been completed.

View this year's scholarship program video to learn more.