Missouri's Cattlemen Foundation Scholarships

Scholarship Sponsored by Missouri's Cattlemen Foundation

Since its inception in 1997, the Missouri Cattlemen's Foundation has generously awarded over 815 scholarships, amounting to a total of $801,500. This scholarship program is accessible to both graduating high school seniors and current college students. The scholarships are presented annually at the MCA Convention & Trade Show in January.

The guidelines for the 2025 Scholarship are as follows, with the deadline set for Monday, October 13, 2025:

1. The applicant must be a resident of Missouri and a current paid member of the Missouri Junior Cattlemen's Association, or their parent/legal guardian must be a current paid member of the Missouri Cattlemen's Association.

2. The applicant is required to submit three letters of recommendation, one of which must be from a current Missouri Cattlemen's Association member. These letters should be uploaded online.

3. The applicant should not have previously received a full ($1,000 or above) Missouri's Cattlemen Foundation Scholarship.

4. The applicant must be a high school senior or a full-time college student with a GPA of 2.5/4.0 or better. They must have been a full-time student (high school or college) the previous year and not have reached their 23rd birthday by January 1, 2023. Preference will be given to students pursuing degrees in Agribusiness Management, Agriculture Economics, Agriculture Education, Agriculture Journalism, Agriculture Systems Management, Animal Science, General Agriculture, Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, and Plant Science.

5. The applicant must provide the most recent available high school or college transcript to Missouri's Cattlemen Foundation as proof of grade point average and enrollment.

6. The applicant must demonstrate leadership potential through extracurricular activities and work experiences.

7. Preference may be given to students who plan to/are attending Missouri colleges and universities. Financial need will also be considered.

8. The Missouri’s Cattlemen Foundation Scholarship Committee will review applications and notify all applicants of the committee’s decision by mail on or before November 30, 2025. Scholarship recipients will be honored during the Missouri Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show on January 21-23, 2026, in Osage Beach, Missouri.

9. After the applications have been judged, the top five applicants will be selected for an interview during the Missouri Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show. During the interview, the panel of judges will select the overall recipient to receive an additional $2,000 and the reserve recipient to receive an additional $1,000.

10. Unless otherwise noted, all Missouri’s Cattlemen Foundation scholarships will be $1,000.

11. Scholarships will be payable during the calendar year 2026. To redeem the scholarship, recipients must provide Missouri’s Cattlemen Foundation with proof of college enrollment. Funds for scholarships will be sent directly to the recipients’ institutions. Any unused portion of the scholarship should be returned to Missouri's Cattlemen Foundation.

12. All scholarship donor agreements presented to the MCF for approval must align with the mission and policy of MCF. The MCF board may grant exceptions to these overall guidelines.

The scholarship essay topic is: "Why should you receive the Missouri's Cattlemen Foundation Scholarship?"

Please note: Applicants should use the original form provided on the website and only use the space provided. No additional pages should be added, except where specified (i.e. essay, transcript). Resumes and/or extra pages will not be forwarded to the judges.

Applications will be scored using the following point system: Communication - 10 points; Leadership - 20 points; Community Involvement - 15 points; Agricultural Involvement - 20 points; Scholastic/Academic - 10 points; Financial Need - 5 points; Cattlemen’s Association Involvement - 5 points; Work History - 5 points; and General Impression - 10 points.