Agricultural Education Scholarships (2026) — Become the Ag Teacher Students Remember

Updated Aug 23, 2025 by Leah Kim, Chief Editor — ScholarshipsAndGrants.us

Fast intro (fun + clear):
If your happy place is the ag shop, greenhouse, and classroom, this list is your money map. We pulled legit, U.S.-based scholarships that fit agricultural education (HS seniors → student teachers). Each item shows Why it slaps → Amount → Deadline → Apply/info with a verified link. Snag a few, calendar the earliest due date, and ship it. 🚀

🎯 Scholarships

NAAE — Upper Division / Student Teacher Scholarship (Ag Ed majors)

• Why it slaps

  • 🎓 Built specifically for future ag teachers in their student-teaching semester

  • 💬 National ag-ed org recognition (looks great to hiring committees)

• 💰 Amount: $1,500 (recent cycles)

• ⏰ Deadline: Last cycle posted May 15, 2025; check the current year window on NAAE

• 🔗 Apply/info: https://www.naae.org/professional-development/naae-awards-scholarships/student-teacher-scholarship/ NAAE
  Amount/details ref: NAAE PDF notes $1,500 award; document references fall 2025 / spring 2026 eligibility. NAAE

National FFA — Scholarships (single app → many awards)

• Why it slaps

  • 🗂️ One application unlocks a large pool (nearly $2.5M total)

  • 🧭 Good overlap for ag-ed pathways (HS seniors & college FFA)

• 💰 Amount: Varies by sponsor

• ⏰ Deadline: Annual window posted on FFA site

• 🔗 Apply/info: https://www.ffa.org/participate/grants-and-scholarships/scholarships/ National FFA Organization

AFA — Leader & Academic Scholarships (Agriculture Future of America)

• Why it slaps

  • 🧑‍🏫 Fits ag ed majors (ag/food/natural resources)

  • 🎟️ Includes admission to the AFA Leaders Conference (networking boost)

• 💰 Amount: $1,600–$3,200 (varies by partner)

• ⏰ Deadline: Typically Dec → Mar (see portal each cycle)

• 🔗 Apply/info: https://www.agfuture.org/scholarships agfuture.org

Grow Ag Leaders — (Bayer Fund) administered with FFA partners

• Why it slaps

  • 🌱 $1,500 awards for ag-related degrees (ag ed included)

  • 🤝 Industry-backed; often routes through FFA partner networks

• 💰 Amount: $1,500

• ⏰ Deadline: Prior window showed Nov–Jan; confirm the current cycle

• 🔗 Apply/info: BigFuture listing: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/scholarships/grow-ag-leaders-scholarship BigFuture
  Program background (Bayer page): Bayer

National Dairy Shrine — Education & Communication Scholarship (DMI)

• Why it slaps

  • 🧠 Targets education/communication pathways in agriculture

  • 📅 Clear annual cadence; April 15 due is common

• 💰 Amount: Varies by Dairy Shrine program

• ⏰ Deadline: Often mid-April; confirm current cycle

• 🔗 Apply/info: https://dairyshrine.org/youth/ (Due-date example post here:) Dairy Shrine

California Agricultural Teachers’ Association (CATA) — Student Teacher Scholarships (CA)

• Why it slaps

  • 🌉 State-targeted support for ag ed student teachers

  • 🔁 Two cycles listed historically (May 15 & Nov 15)

• 💰 Amount: Varies by year/chapter (older brochures showed ~$500 examples)

• ⏰ Deadline: Historically May 15 / Nov 15; check the current application PDF

• 🔗 Apply/info: CATA scholarship PDF:
  https://www.calagteachers.org/assets/docs/Applications/Scholarship%20Guidlines%20and%20Application.pdf (Historical amount example: Cal Poly brochure.) calagteachers.org, Cal Poly Pomona

Ohio Agricultural Council — Scholarships (OH residents)

• Why it slaps

  • 🐮 Solid state-level awards with friendly odds

  • 🧭 For ag majors; ag-ed majors qualify within “ag-related” umbrella

• 💰 Amount: Often $1,500 (per program/news)

• ⏰ Deadline: Annual, posted on OAC site

• 🔗 Apply/info: https://ohioagcouncil.org/education/ (Recent $1,500 awards noted in 2025 news.) Ohio Ag Council, Morning Ag Clips

Heads-up: Some state Farm Bureau and CTE associations (ACTEAZ, KACTE, MO-ACTE, etc.) run student or preservice-teacher scholarships. If you’ll teach ag in that state, these can be very winnable. Start with your state ACTE/Ag Teachers association site. acteaz.orgKentuckyMissouri

🧠 Quick win playbook

• Lead with classroom impact. Essay = student or community need → your ag-ed strategy (SAE, supervised labs, CTSO leadership) → result (data beats fluff).

• Show receipts. FFA roles, CDE/LDE, SAE supervision experience, greenhouse/shop management, land lab projects.

• Ask refs early. 2–3 weeks’ notice + “brag sheet.”

• Submit 48 hrs early. Portals lag.

• Stack smart. Pair national (NAAE/FFA/AFA) + state (CATA/OAC/ACTE-state) + industry (Dairy Shrine, Bayer Fund).

📚 Helpful resources (official)

• NAAE (Teach Ag hub + membership): https://www.naae.org/ — ✅ Verified Aug 23, 2025. NAAE

• NAAE #TeachAg Ambassadors (preservice opportunity): https://www.naae.org/teach-ag/promote-teach-ag/national-teachag-ambassadors/ — ✅ Verified Aug 23, 2025. NAAE

• USDA – Resources for Educators & Community Leaders (ag ed links incl. AFA/FFA): https://www.usda.gov/farming-and-ranching/agricultural-education-and-outreach/resources-educators-and-community-leaders — ✅ Verified Aug 23, 2025. USDA

• FFA Scholarships (portal): https://www.ffa.org/participate/grants-and-scholarships/scholarships/ — ✅ Verified Aug 23, 2025. National FFA Organization

• AFA Scholarships (eligibility & amounts): https://www.agfuture.org/scholarships — ✅ Verified Aug 23, 2025. agfuture.org

💬 FAQs

Do I have to be an Ag Ed major for these?
Some are ag-ed specific (e.g., NAAE Student Teacher). Others (FFA, AFA, Dairy Shrine) fund ag fields broadly, and ag-ed typically qualifies—always check each page’s eligibility. NAAENational FFA Organizationagfuture.orgDairy Shrine

When do applications open?

• NAAE Student Teacher: last cycle due May 15 (watch the current NAAE page). NAAE

• FFA: annual window on the scholarship hub. National FFA Organization

• AFA: typically Dec–Mar; portal lists exact dates. agfuture.org

• Dairy Shrine: often posts mid-April due. Dairy Shrine

I’m student-teaching—any scholarships just for that semester?
Yes: NAAE Upper Division/Student Teacher Scholarship targets preservice ag teachers in their student-teaching term (recent award level $1,500). NAAE

What are “easy odds” options?
State-level or association scholarships (e.g., CATA, OAC, state ACTE/Ag Teachers groups) tend to have smaller applicant pools than national awards. calagteachers.org, Ohio Ag Council, acteaz.org

Can I use Bayer’s Grow Ag Leaders as an Ag Ed major?
Yes—it’s open to ag-related degrees (amount $1,500). Always confirm your degree focus meets the current criteria on the official listing. BigFuture