College Scholarships

The objective of the Cook County Farm Bureau® Foundation’s scholarship program is to provide scholarships to college students who major in agriculture, agribusiness, or an ag-related (or food and fiber) course of study. The General Scholarships are for members of Cook County Farm Bureau with the CONSERV FS scholarship being the exception to that guideline. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of exceptional scholastic ability and financial need. Awards will be sent to the school in the recipient’s name and must be used for the 2020 school year.

The scholarship application will be posted December 1st each year during the scholarship application period.

 Scholars hip Application 2021 
 

Scholarship Application Tips:

• Fully complete the application by providing the requested information on the application. The Application is posted each year in early December on the Cook County Farm Bureau Foundation area of the website.
• Start early in order to ensure that all requested items are included by the deadline.
• Use strong language skills including punctuation, sentence structure and writing practices.
• Observe carefully the submission deadline and pay your Farm Bureau membership on a timely basis so that you are a member in good standing. Observe the one-year minimum Cook County Farm Bureau membership guideline for eligibility.
• Request letters of recommendation from the strongest source possible. An agricultural connection related to your anticipated agricultural career path will lend stronger support your application. A letter specific to the applicant rather than generic reflects favorably.
• Provide information about agriculturally related activities that create a better connection with your anticipated agricultural career path. If you don’t have access to these activities in high school, seek connected opportunities in college.
• Don’t fabricate, exaggerate or concoct career goals to communicate to the review committee that you have no intention of pursuing.
• Provide detailed income and expense data to help properly determine financial need. Evidence of effort to support income by the student is favorable.
• Jobs and internships that are related to your chosen agricultural career path strengthens your application.
• Get involved in Cook County Farm Bureau activities and programming the Young Leaders Group, agriculture Literacy Team or in other ways.

Remember that the scholarship is good for a one-year period that begins with the fall semester. The scholarship can be divided between semesters during that period. Payment will only be made to the college or university for tuition and related classroom educational costs and is not available for living expenses.  It is your responsibility to provide to us a College/University invoice (proof of registration) prior to scholarship payment. Payment will not be made for an amount larger than the invoice.

Scholarship Recipient "Thank You" Videos

CCFB Foundation Scholar Winners Announced

The Board of Directors of the Cook County Farm Bureau Foundation has selected 12 individuals as recipients of the 2020-2021 Scholarship Program.  Katherine Manika of North Riverside was awarded the Howard Paarlberg Excellence in Agriculture Scholarship.  Receiving general farm and food scholarships were Alyson Doherty of Carpentersville; Aidan Walton of Westchester; Jonathon Poole of Chicago; Hannah Doherty of Carpentersville; Colleen Elzinga of Evergreen Park; Daniel Macina of Mt. Prospect; Asher Horcher of Wheeling; Jennifer Miller of Justice; Sierra Nelson of Willow Springs; Thomas Poole of Chicago and Dane Butikofer of LaGrange. A total of $17,000 of scholarship funds were distributed.

Howard Paarlberg Excellence in Agriculture Scholarship

This scholarship is designed to honor Mr. Howard Paarlberg, the first President of the Foundation and President of the Farm Bureau for 18 years. The recipient carries the prestige of being the top-rated applicant and a greater financial reward for the individual.

The Cook County Farm Bureau Foundation was established by the Cook County Farm Bureau to carry out charitable, literary and educational work in Agriculture.  The Foundation Board established the Agricultural Scholarship Program to provide financial assistance to students pursuing education for agricultural careers and to encourage the best and brightest young minds to return to Agriculture as their chosen career.