Scholarships | Farm Credit Illinois

Agriculture Scholarships

Agriculture Scholarship Program

The 2025 scholarship application deadline has passed. Check back in December for the 2026 program.

FCI Agriculture Scholarship Application

Program Details

Thirty $2,500 Agriculture Scholarships are available to high school seniors who will study an ag-related curricula or trade in a college or vocational school next fall and pursue a career on the farm or in the industry. Two applicants of color will be designated “Diversity in Agriculture Scholars.”

Selection criteria include participation and leadership contributions within school and community organizations, a genuine passion for farming and/or agriculture, and a commitment to pursuing an agriculture-related career. Recipients must reside – or their family must farm – in one of the 60 central and southern Illinois counties served by Farm Credit Illinois.

Recipients receive $1,250 of the scholarship for the Fall 2025 semester and the remaining $1,250 will be available to students who continue pursuing an agricultural degree during the Fall 2027 semester.

How to Apply

All applicants should complete the Application and upload the Passion for Agriculture video by February 28, 2025.

Contact FCI with questions at ask@farmcreditIL.com or 217-590-2200. Recipients will be announced before the end of March.

Passion For Agriculture Video

Create a 30-45 second video on your phone capturing your passion for agriculture. After a quick personal introduction, showcase one specific object (i.e. memento, place, project, person, plant, animal) you treasure and describe its significance and how it helped shape your commitment to agriculture. Videos should be uploaded to the Brandfolder link provided in the application.

Video Guidelines:

• Begin the video by sharing your name, high school, and anticipated school.
• Ask a friend or family member to record you holding the phone horizontally. We want to hear your voice, see your face, and view the showcased object.
• Video length should be no longer than 45 seconds. Points will be deducted for videos exceeding this length.
• Keep it simple and speak from your heart. No technical editing skills required
• See sample videos below

Uploading Your Video to Brandfolder:

Follow the instructions to upload your video file to Brandfolder. Wait until you receive confirmation your video has successfully uploaded before closing the window.

If You Encounter Errors:

• Try an alternative browser - Google Chrome is preferable.

• Make sure your Internet connection is reliable.
• Check the video file type to ensure you are uploading an .mp4 of .mov file

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