Dairy industry offering highscool scolarship programs!
Article by Walter Hart
One of the largest segments of the agriculture industry is the dairy industry. Only the European Union possesses more milk-producing animals than our country. At the same time, American cows, goats, and similar animals produce more milk per animal than anywhere else in the world. This is all due to dairy scientists.As it happens, the agriculture industry realizes more dairy specialists are needed if it intends to keep up with the times. So, it has created an amazing number of scholarships and grants to help students finance their college education. These are on top of federal, state, and other sources outside of the industry.One of the biggest providers is the National Dairy Shrine (NDS). Each year, it releases over $ 40,000 in scholarships for students to complete their Associate’s and Bachelor’s degrees in the industry. The first of these is the NDS/Student Recognition Scholarship. It provides three awards – for $ 2,000, $ 1,500, and $ 1,000 – to encourage high school students into the dairy sciences. For undergraduate upper classmen, there is the Klussendorf/McKown Scholarship. This offers six scholarships of $ 2,000 each to sophomores and higher grades.The NDS also has the Kildee Undergraduate Scholarship, which is open to junior members of the 4H Club and Future Farmers Association who are also college juniors or seniors. Each year, 25 students are selected and awarded $ 2,000 each. The Iager Scholarship is for students going for their Associate’s degree in the industry; they are awarded $ 1,000. The Shrine also offers financial aid for students going into marketing and other aspects of the dairy industry.There is also the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDPRB) Scholarship. It awards as many as twenty $ 1,500 scholarships to eligible undergraduate students. They must be between their sophomore through senior years and enrolled in college/university programs that emphasize dairy. Applicants are required to submit a transcript of all college courses, a brief statement describing their aspirations, and also list any dairy-related activity and work experiences.Then, there is the Dairy Farmers of America. It is interested in helping finance the educations of students in all aspects of their industry, from animal husbandry and veterinary science through marketing and management. Again, applicants must supply their academic transcripts, what kind of school they intend to study at, letters of recommendation, and financial records. Last year, the DFA provided 11 students with $ 1,500 each towards the two-year or four-year programs of their choice.
