The financial strength of the agriculture industry continues to attract college students looking for promising careers. Enrollment in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences reached an all-time high at Iowa State University last fall. Likewise, at the University of Nebraska, enrollment among ag science and natural resource majors was up for the ninth consecutive year.
Demand for college graduates who majored in agriculture or ag-related fields was strong last spring, and the job outlook remains positive this year even as farm incomes are expected to soften. New graduates can help fill vacancies created by workers retiring. In addition, today’s graduates bring a wealth of knowledge about technology and are comfortable using it to enhance productivity of farm operations.
While job prospects are attractive, the cost of a college education continues to grow. Annual tuition and fees at four-year public universities now average more than $8,600.
To help finance their education, ag students at land-grant universities in a four-state area are invited to apply for $2,500 scholarships sponsored by FCSAmerica. Applications are available on campus or online for juniors and seniors at Iowa State University, South Dakota State University, the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, and the University of Wyoming. Applications are due in February and March, and winners are announced in April.
Applicants should be focused on a career in ag and be enrolled in the College of Agriculture with course work emphasis in agribusiness or economics, or enrolled in the College of Business Administration with course work emphasis in agribusiness, finance, accounting or economics.
Pictured from left to right: Katie Clifford, Farm Credit Services of America and
Justin Taubenheim, 2013 FCSAmerica scholarship winner
