2019 Scholarship Information

Targeting Excellence scholarships will be awarded by a scholarship committee comprised of the national board of directors and regional leaders involved in food animal production. Scholarships will reflect the interest of annual contributors and the participants of the fund-raising events. Scholarships will be awarded to both undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in an agricultural curriculum at an institution that offers degrees in agriculture. Preference will always be given to applicants with a desire to work in some aspect of food animal production.

Scholarship Amounts

A total of approximately $200,000 will be awarded in 2019 from the applications that are submitted. Scholarship amounts will be based on the program in which the student is enrolled:

$1000 for 2 Year Programs
$2000 for 4 Year Programs
$3000 for Graduate and Veterinary Programs

To Qualify for Scholarship

Applicant must be accepted or enrolled in a College of Agriculture which offers courses in food animal production.

Applicant must be enrolled in classes effective September 1.

Applicant must have a strong desire to pursue a career, upon graduation, in some aspect of food animal production.

Preference will be given to students who attend schools in regions where fundraising events were held. The preference regions for 2019 awards are Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Additional consideration will be given to students who previously attended a Targeting Excellence event.

2019 Scholarship Essays

For 2019 , Targeting Excellence is requiring all applicants to answer the same essay question:

What do you see as an important issue facing food animal agriculture today? What risks and opportunities does that issue present to the industry?

In addition to submitting one of the essay above each applicant must also submit a personal statement of career goals.

Before You Submit Your Application

You will need the first name, last name, email address, and either university or company name for 2 references to include on your application. 1 reference must be one of your food animal agriculture professors and the other reference can either be another professor or an industry professional. You will not be able to submit your application without including this information. You do not need a reference letter prior to submitting your application. References will not be contacted unless there is a question about your qualifications to receive a Targeting Excellence scholarship.
A digital copy of your official transcripts or unofficial transcripts. If official or unofficial transcripts are not available a screen shot of your student portal showing GPA, Test Scores, and other key enrollment information is allowed. Any documentation you submit should clearly show your name and school. Ideally the documentation should also include a date on it.
A digital copy of applicant’s resume if he or she wishes to submit it as part of the application (optional).
Applicant may submit 1 additional supporting document/file (optional). Applicant may not use this option to submit the essays for the application. The only essays considered for the application are the ones included in the essay fields/boxes on the application.