IAA Foundation Scholarship Program
You're taking an important step to future success!
The IAA Foundation endeavors to enhance the future of agriculture by providing college scholarships to Illinois Farm Families, Illinois Farm Bureau members, spouses, or their children who major in agriculture, agribusiness, or an ag-related course of study. The IAA Foundation is pleased to administer scholarships on behalf of agricultural partners and families who wish to support future generations and help assure a well-qualified and professional agricultural workforce in Illinois while supporting farming communities.
The IAA Foundation is pleased to offer 110 awards totaling $192,001. The application period runs from January 1 - February 15, 2024.
Announcement of recipients will be made on May 1, 2024.
Students can review scholarships available and eligibility guidelines in the Scholarship Overview.
In addition to eligibility criteria, recipients are selected based on their activities and involvement in clubs, organizations and their community, their financial plan for funding their education, essay and personal statement responses and academic performance. A Quickview Eligibility guide is available, though it should not be used as a standalone determination of eligibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
The application period runs January 1 to February 15 each year. All elements of the application must be completed/submitted by 11:59 pm on February 15. Recipients are announced on our website and in FarmWeek, the weekly Illinois Farm Bureau news publication, on or around May 1. Letters/emails are sent to both recipients and non-recipients before the announcement.
You can apply for multiple scholarships, but you can only receive one per year. Please carefully read general and specific eligibility for each scholarship on this website and within the application. You will self-select the scholarships you want to apply for, understanding that if you do not meet the eligibility requirements you will be disqualified. You must complete all elements of the application to be eligible for review.
Once you have started the online application, you may save and continue your work at a later time. Use the same login and password that you created to access the site. We encourage bookmarking the application site. Click on “Save and Next” located at the bottom of every section. NOTE: Once you click “Save and Finalize” you can no longer make edits. Ensure all information is complete and accurate prior to finalizing.
Official transcripts are not required. All copies should be uploaded directly into the application in one of the accepted file formats. If you are entering as a Freshman, you must include a copy of your high school transcript. If you are entering as a Sophomore, submit your high school and college transcript. If you are entering as a Junior, Senior or Graduate level college student, only your college transcript is required. If you attended more than one college before you received your degree, submit transcripts from all schools attended.
If you are over 18, your parents do not need to sign the application release. The second signature request allows IAA Foundation to use quotes from your essay, general statistical data, and/or photo. You are not required to say YES to the second consent, and it has no bearing on your ability to receive a scholarship.
Scholarship checks will be sent directly to the recipient’s school by the first week in July and will be equally split between both semesters. Under absolutely no circumstances will we issue a check directly to a recipient.
Information is available at your county Farm Bureau office, by calling the IAA Foundation office at 309-557-2232, or by emailing jsmith@ilfb.org