In order to be eligible, the appicant must meet or complete the requirements:
1. The applicant must reside in Stark County, IL, or attend/graduate from Stark County High School.
2. The applicant must be enrolled in a university, college, or trade school during the fall 2025 semester and be a full-time student.
3. The applicant must be enrolled in an agricultural-related field of study (examples: Ag Business, Ag Communication, Ag Engineering, Ag Finance, Animal Science, Veterinary Science, Farm Management, etc.) or be enrolled in a field of study that is directly beneficial to agriculture (examples: welding, diesel tech, forestry, etc.). Other fields of study will also be considered if the applicant’s post-graduate career goals involve agriculture.
4. Preference will be given to applicants that are a member, spouse of a member, or child of a member of the Stark County Farm Bureau. Applicants or their parents can become a member at the time of the application deadline of February 20th, 2025.
5. The applicant must not be a spouse, child, sibling, grandchild, son-in-law, or daughter-in-law of any member of the 2025-26 Stark County Farm Bureau Foundation Board of Directors.
6. The applicant must complete, in its entirety, all sections of the application and submit it by February 20th 2025.
7. The applicant must submit a recent (e.g. senior picture) high-resolution digital picture (no scans) as part of the application. (The larger the file size the better, vertical/portrait orientation is preferred). If not uploaded with this application, pictures can be emailed to starkcfbmanager@gmail.com
8. A scanned or digital copy of the high school and/or college transcripts must be submitted with this application. If they are not uploaded with this application, a scan of the transcript can be emailed to starkcfbmanager@gmail.com . Hard copies of the transcripts are also acceptable and can be delivered or mailed to the Stark County Farm Bureau at 7417B State Route 17, Toulon, IL 61483
9. The applicant must submit at least one letter of recommendation with this application. The letter can be uploaded with this application or can be emailed to the Stark County Farm Bureau at starkcfbmanager@gmail.com
The recipient of the scholarship will be chosen, based on the above requirements, along with their personal accomplishments, leadership skills, career goals relating to agriculture, and academic excellence. Financial need may also be considered, but it is not a primary qualification for this scholarship.
The applications will be reviewed by the Stark County Farm Bureau Foundation Board of Trustees in March 2025. The names of the applicants will be omitted from the application, recommendation letter, and transcripts before judging.
The recipient will be notified before their High School Awards Ceremony in May 2025 or by letter if the applicant is already graduated from high school. In addition, the winning applicant will be publicly announced on social media and in the Stark County Farm Bureau Newsletter.
If you have any questions concerning this scholarship application, please feel free to contact the Stark County Farm Bureau at 309-286-7481 or by emailing us at starkcfbmanager@gmail.com prior to the February 20th, 2025 deadline.