World Ag Expo Opens Scholarship for Central Valley Agriculture Students

The World Ag Expo has opened applications for its long-running "We Believe in Growing" Scholarship, a program designed to support the next generation of agricultural leaders in the Central Valley. Two incoming college students from Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Kern counties will be selected for $10,000 scholarships each, paid in $2,500 annual installments over four years.

The application window opened December 29, 2025 and will close January 16, 2026. To be considered, applicants must be graduating from high school during the 2025–2026 school year, plan to attend a four-year college or university to pursue a degree in agriculture, and submit a completed application accompanied by two letters of recommendation and high school transcripts. Scholarship recipients will be announced in early February and recognized during World Ag Expo, February 10–12, 2026, at the International Agri-Center in Tulare.

For Fresno County students, the scholarship represents more than financial aid. In a region where agriculture underpins the local economy and daily life, investing in students who will study agricultural sciences, agribusiness, plant and soil sciences, animal science, and related fields helps build a pipeline of trained professionals who can address farmworker safety, sustainable production, and food system resilience. Even modest awards can make a critical difference in covering tuition, books, housing or unpaid internship costs that often determine whether a rural student can persist through a four-year program.

The scholarship also intersects with broader equity concerns. Many Central Valley students come from farmworker families or communities with limited higher education access. Targeted support for students from these five counties helps counter structural barriers such as limited local college capacity, transportation challenges, and the economic pressure to join the workforce immediately after high school. By directing funds to students committed to agriculture, the program works to maintain local expertise that can respond to public health challenges tied to agriculture, including pesticide exposure, nutrition and food security, and climate-driven threats to crop production.

World Ag Expo’s recognition of recipients at its Tulare event gives scholarship winners a public platform and connection to industry leaders, employers and educational resources. As applicants prepare their materials in the coming days, the scholarship deadline of January 16 is the immediate milestone; announcements and public recognition will follow in early February at the Expo.