Diversity Scholarships

Deadline 

The application period for 2023-2024 is now closed. Check back in November for updated information.

Eligibility 

• be a 2023 high school graduate with plans to attend a post-secondary institute or be a current college student enrolled full time. 
• be attending or plan to attend an accredited two or four-year college located in one of the following AgWest states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah or Washington. 
• be pursuing an agriculture or business-related degree or trade-related certificate. Eligible programs should positively influence the agriculture industry. Examples include horticulture programs, welding, mechanics, and related technical apprenticeship programs. 
• be from a historically underrepresented group in agriculture (i.e. African American or Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Latino/Hispanic, Pacific Islander, etc.)  
• be a U.S. citizen or legal resident of the United States. 
• not a previous winner of a Northwest FCS or Farm Credit West college scholarship. 

What you need to do 

1. Obtain a copy of your high school or college transcript and save it as a PDF, using the following naming convention for the filename:  Firstname-Lastname-Transcript.pdf (for example: Taylor-Doe-Transcript.pdf). Unofficial photocopies of your transcript are acceptable. 
2. Write an essay. An essay helps the judges learn more about you and your future life plans.
   



Essay Instructions

• Write an essay, no more than a page in length, discussing the following: 
  How will you use your education to make a positive impact in the ag industry?
• Save your essay as a PDF, using the following naming convention for the filename:  Firstname-Lastname-Essay.pdf (for example: Taylor-Doe-Transcript.pdf). 


3. Obtain a letter of recommendation and save it as a PDF, using the following naming convention for the filename:  Firstname-Lastname-Letter.pdf (for example: Taylor-Doe-Transcript.pdf). If you have more than one letter, combine all letters into one PDF file. 
4. Fill out the online AgWest Diversity Scholarship Application form and attach your PDF files. 

Selection criteria 

• Essay – Measured by content and message. (30 points) 
• Leadership experience – Measured by positions held in student government, civic groups, church groups or other community groups. (15 points) 
• Extracurricular activities – Measured by participation in sports, school, and community organizations as well as work experience. (25 points) 
• Academic achievement – Measured by grades and transcripts. (20 points) 
• Letter(s) of recommendation – (10 points)