IL Corn Opens 2025 Scholarship Application Period

October 28, 2024

IL Corn Growers Association (ICGA) is excited to announce the 3rd annual scholarship program for students choosing to pursue a degree in the agriculture field. The submission period for the scholarship period is now open and the application deadline is January 31, 2025, by 11:59 p.m. CST.

 

"We're excited to deepen our commitment to supporting the next generation," said Dave Rylander, ICGA President and Victoria, Illinois farmer. "Our aim is to make sure that financial barriers don't stop anyone from following a career in agriculture. While this support may not cover all educational costs, we’re eager for the difference it can make."

 

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • Applicant must be a high school senior or a post-secondary student.
  • Applicants must be pursuing a degree in an agriculture field in Illinois.
  • The application must be submitted by January 31, 2025, by 11:59 p.m. Central Time.
  • Scholarship winner must attend at least one IL Corn leadership meeting or event within a year of receiving scholarship.
  • Applicant must have an active ICGA membership*
  • Each applicant is eligible to receive the IL Corn scholarship only once; previous recipients are not eligible to apply again.

 

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Below are the specific requirements for the IL Corn Growers Association Scholarship that are a part of the online application process by clicking the green button below:

  • A completed online application.
  • At least one letter of recommendation from non-family member(s).
  • Current resume.
  • Completed Essay Questions
  • What are the three most important issues facing agriculture today? How would you address them?
  • How do you plan to use this scholarship?
  • Why are you pursuing an ag-related career?

*Parent, sponsor or own membership. A sponsor can be a farmer or ag industry sponsor. Must provide their member number in application process. 

thumbnail of aul
By Tara Desmond December 30, 2025
Illinois waterways move over 70M tons of goods each year — including corn. 🚢🌽 Learn why aging locks & dams need urgent modernization.
video icons
By Tara Desmond December 30, 2025
Watch the top 10 most-viewed videos of 2025, featuring farmer stories, trade insights, and the moments shaping Illinois agriculture.
icons floating above cornfield
By Tara Desmond December 30, 2025
Explore the most-read Illinois corn stories of 2025, from policy and markets to innovation and farmer impact, plus weekly updates and member stories.
Mark Bunselmeyer
By Lyndi Allen December 30, 2025
Meet IL Corn Growers Association President, Mark Bunselmeyer of Decatur, IL. Mark farms in Macon County, where he grows corn and soybeans.
captain next to a tree
By Tara Desmond December 23, 2025
This season, we pulled together a few fun reminders of how corn connects farm life to Christmas traditions — both on and off the farm.
harvest
By Tara Desmond December 23, 2025
Illinois farmers and farm families were well represented in the 2025 Fields of Corn Photo Contest, hosted by the National Corn Growers Association.
Show More