FFA Scholarships to Apply for in 2024

Future Farmers of America (FFA) is a youth organization in the United States that promotes agricultural education and leadership development. The organization was originally called the Future Farmers of America, founded in 1928, but it changed its name to the National FFA Organization in 1988 to reflect its wide range of career opportunities available in agriculture while also acknowledging the organization's history.

FFA membership is comprised of 850,823 student members in grades seven through 12. They can also be future chemists, veterinarians, government officials, bankers, international business leaders, teachers, and premier professionals.

As part of its commitment to empowering young individuals pursuing careers in agriculture, the FFA offers multiple scholarship opportunities to support their educational endeavors. These scholarships provide financial assistance and recognize outstanding achievements, dedication, and potential within the agricultural community.

These scholarships help deserving students pursue their educational goals, whether planning to study agriculture, agribusiness, animal science, plant science, or related fields. FFA high school seniors can apply for scholarships through the organization.

Beyond scholarships through FFA, though, plenty of private scholarship organizations can help pay for college tuition. On Bold.org's website, you can find and apply to plenty of scholarship options and blog articles to help you figure out how to make college more affordable. 

What Types of FFA Scholarships Are There?

The FFA offers a diverse range of scholarships to accommodate aspiring agricultural professionals' varied interests and career paths. Scholarships are available at the local, state, and national levels.

Most scholarships from the National FFA Foundation are merit-based, so these awards provide financial assistance and recognize the recipients' accomplishments and potential.

Merit-based FFA scholarships often consider factors such as academic performance, leadership skills, FFA involvement, community service, and future career goals. To win one of these, you must be amongst the best students who apply based on your transcripts, GPA, or extracurricular experience.

Other than merit-based, some awards may be need-based scholarships based on family income or family makeup. Need-based scholarships are intended to support students whose background or personal circumstances might make it harder for them to get a degree. If you are from a nontraditional family, you may be eligible for need-based scholarship aid.

Some scholarships may even combine these criteria to get applicants from even more specific demographics. By looking into the eligibility requirements for scholarships, you can determine which financial aid options fit your higher education plans.

How to Qualify for FFA Scholarships

Study Agriculture or Related Fields

Regardless of whether students attend trade schools or a two-year or four-year university, students need to have a passion for farming, agriculture, or a similar field. Some scholarships may have specific major requirements, so make sure to look into each scholarship before you apply.

Be Involved with FFA

In order to qualify, you may need to be involved with FFA or the organization that sponsors the scholarship. Beyond scholarships, FFA offers various career opportunities, so if you are looking to go into an agricultural field, it can be useful to get involved.

Meet Any Other Eligibility Requirements

Some scholarships have additional requirements beyond just being involved with FFA or studying in a specific field. Students could need a certain field of study or career goals to get financial assistance. Ensure you check all the eligibility criteria for scholarships before applying.

How Do You Get an FFA Scholarship?

At most colleges and universities, there are grants and scholarships that students can apply for. Most of the federal financial aid is given out based on your financial need, but private scholarships can also help. Whether you apply for scholarships through FFA or another private organization that is providing scholarships, it is important to have plenty of financial options.

Scholarships are incredibly competitive, so in order to get chosen for scholarship programs, you will have to stand out. You can do this by writing compelling essays or applications that will impress the scholarship committees.

If you are worried about the competitiveness of financial aid for FFA students, Bold.org has a variety of scholarships for any student. You can easily apply for scholarships on Bold.org. Just make sure that you have a strong profile before you apply.

How to Apply for an FFA Scholarship

Applying for financial aid can be daunting, but it is an important step for your college education. Many schools have scholarships you can apply for through the FAFSA or your university.

To apply for FFA scholarships, students typically need to complete an application that includes information about their academic background, FFA involvement, leadership experiences, community service, and future aspirations. The selection process may involve a committee reviewing applications and conducting interviews. If you want to find scholarships with an easy application process, though, Bold.org is the perfect place.

On Bold.org, it is easy to apply for scholarships. Once you have a profile, you can apply for scholarships in only a few clicks. Applying for scholarships requires an essay submission, but no-essay scholarships require a few minutes to apply. Each scholarship will have relevant instructions or essay prompts in the description, making the application process simple.

When you apply for scholarships, keep in mind that there are certain ways to increase your chances of winning, such as having a detailed profile, earning as many bold points as possible, and writing impressive essays.

How to Find FFA Scholarships

You can visit their website to find scholarships from the National FFA Organization. But you can also find plenty of scholarships on Bold.org. You can explore exclusive scholarships for your state, major, and demographic and bookmark scholarships so you can go back to them later.

For students who may need scholarships, it can help to try to find scholarships without an income level or location requirement. You can find these scholarships by sorting the scholarships by category. The "general" category has scholarships available to most students regardless of their demographic.

Suppose you are getting your certification or degree in a certain field. In that case, you can also find specific scholarships by going to the "education" category or by searching for scholarships by major. There, you will find scholarships that apply to specific programs, including agriculture, environmental science, and more.

When to Start Applying for FFA Scholarships

When it comes to securing financial aid for your college degree, it's never too early to start. You can begin applying for scholarships as early as high school so that you can apply for a larger range of scholarships and minimize your need for student loans. Many students begin applying for scholarships as high school seniors, but applying earlier will give you a head start on tackling your college costs.

However, don't worry if you're already in college and just starting to apply. Many scholarships are geared towards students pursuing college degrees or even graduate students, so you have plenty of time to apply. Bold.org has college scholarships for high school, undergraduate, and graduate students.

Frequently Asked Questions About FFA Scholarships

How many scholarships should I apply for to get money?

You should apply for as many scholarships as you can, as early as you can. Students who don't apply for many scholarships or apply late may find that they don't get enough money for their education. Loans may be an option. Students should take advantage of all the scholarship money out there.

By continuously applying for scholarships throughout your time in high school and college, you can ensure that you have access to more scholarship money, even if you do not get every scholarship. The FFA website is also a great place to find many scholarships with a specific demographic, meaning that you may have a better chance of getting money through the organization.

How do you earn money in FFA?

Many FFA members start their own businesses or work for an agricultural company in high school. Some FFA members have earned lots of money by the time they graduate from college by reinvesting their profits in their businesses. By applying for scholarships, you can also focus more on your business or future career and earn money. FFA also gives students lots of networking opportunities to help jumpstart their careers.

How is FFA Funded?

FFA programs are funded through sponsorships and individual donations at the local, state, and national levels. Scholarships are also funded in this way. National dues for each member are $7 per year.

How much money is available each year in FFA scholarships?

FFA members and organizations give out plenty of money each year. The National FFA Scholarship Program offers more than 120 scholarships each year, and more than $2.7 million in funds are available. While scholarships are meant to keep high school youth aware of their college options, collegiate members may also be able to benefit from FFA financial assistance.

Chances are there's a good amount of money that you will be eligible for, but you will never know if you don't apply. If you need more scholarship money, though, Bold.org is here to help! Apply to some of our agricultural scholarships at any point in your college career.

Create a profile and start applying for exclusive scholarships on our website!