Et cetera : Scholarships Available for High School Graduating Seniors

Once again, Conservation Districts of Iowa (CDI) is partnering with Benton Soil & Water Conservation District (Benton SWCD) to foster the higher education endeavors of Iowa students interested in conservation and agriculture by offering scholarships.

Iowa High School Class of 2025 students pursuing programs of study in any field of conservation or agriculture are eligible for the Conservation Scholarship. While many college majors qualify, preference will be given to students pursuing programs of study in conservation.

The scholarship must be used for the student's first year of college education.

Information and applications may be found on the CDI website: https://www.cdiowa.org/get-involved/scholarships/

Applications should be submitted to the office of the Soil & Water Conservation District in which the student resides. Only applications for Benton County residents should be submitted to the Benton SWCD office at 1705 West D Street, Vinton, IA, 52349. Contact information for SWCDs contiguous to Benton County may be found at the CDI web address.

The top three scholarships will be awarded at the state level in the amounts of $3000, $2000 and $1000. Winners from the remaining six regions will each receive $500. First, second and third place awards will be paid directly to the applicant's school of choice in two equal installments, one upon enrollment at the beginning of the year and the second at midterm. The six other scholarships will be paid directly to the students.

Applications and supporting documents must be submitted to the Benton SWCD office in hard copy by 4:30 p.m. on February 7, 2025. For CDI applications only.

Visit the CDI website for additional information. If you have questions or are home schooled, please contact Jessica Rambo at 319-472-2161 ext. 3 or jessica.rambo@usda.gov

Additional scholarships for Benton County residents only will be considered at the local level for one $1000.00, one $750.00, and one $500.00 award. These will be due March 14th by 4:30pm at your local Benton SWCD office 1705 W D St, Vinton IA 52349. No additional scholarship application needs to be submitted for the local scholarships if applying for both. If you have questions or are home schooled, please contact Jessica Rambo at 319-472-2161 ext. 3 or jessica.rambo@usda.gov