Missouri State Fair Youth in Agriculture Scholarship Deadline Drawing Near

(SEDALIA, Mo.) – The Youth in Agriculture Committee of the Missouri State Fair is actively seeking 4-H and FFA members for scholarship awards. According to chairman of the committee Wayne Yokley, applications must be postmarked no later than October 15, 2007.

To be eligible for a scholarship, an applicant must be a high school senior and be an active 4-H or FFA member; have participated in the Missouri State Fair as a 4-H or FFA exhibitor; have plans to enroll in an accredited Missouri college or university with a major in agriculture; have not sold livestock in any past Missouri State Fair Sale of Champions.

“We are very happy to be able to award these scholarships to youth who have participated at the fair,” said Yokley . “We appreciate the companies, organizations and individuals who have helped us make this possible.”

The Missouri State Fair scholarship program is funded through the generosity of Youth in Agriculture sponsors and buyers of the livestock sold during the annual Sale of Champions. Yokley added that thirty percent of each animal’s sale price is earmarked for scholarships.

The Youth in Agriculture Committee is responsible for administering the scholarships, Yokley said, and awarded twenty-five $1,000 scholarships and one $2,500 Supreme scholarship in 2006. High school seniors graduating in 2008 who have exhibited at the Missouri State Fair are eligible to apply for the scholarships. Application forms are available on the fair’s website at www.mostatefair.com. Click on “links” button located on the top of the page, and then Youth in Agriculture.

Students selected to receive scholarships will be notified in early January and recognized at the Missouri Association of Fairs & Festival Convention in January. For more information please call the Missouri State Fair at 1-800-422-FAIR (3247) or e-mail your questions to Tammie.Nichols@mda.mo.gov.