Cultivate Good Scholarship Opps in Horticulture Studies

The fields of specialty for Horticulture students are quite broad. This is both good and bad for scholarship hunters. Why? The broadness of specialties is good – it gives you many different sources for scholarships. But this massive number of scholarship sources is also a mixed blessing: it forces you to be very focused in your search, no hitting the broad side of a barn.

Is your specialty biotechnology, sustainable agriculture, plant breeding, soil/crop science, consumer horticulture, viticulture…? Look very specifically for scholarships best suited to your career and educational goals.

Popular sources for Horticulture scholarships:

  • Government Sources
  • Colleges and universities
  • Private and professional sources

Government Sources for Horticulture Students

Federal government sources for Horticulture students:

  • The United States Department of Agriculture sponsors a handful of scholarships. Hispanic students studying a related degree in a Hispanic-serving school may qualify for special internships designed to give them a leg-up in a traditionally unwelcoming industry. Undergraduates and graduate students may otherwise explore current USDA scholarships, fellowships and paid internships.

Private and Professional Sources

Professional industry associations like those below usually offer fertile ground for funds. Most expect you to be a student member to qualify.

  • The Association of Zoological Horticulture provides students with links to current internships in this very specialized field.
  • Very good scholarships come from The Garden Club of America. A number of Environmental Studies scholarships make it possible for students to explore ecological horticulture during intensive summer programs. Also popular, the Rome Fellowship in Landscape Architecture and the scholarships in tropical, wetlands, and medicinal botany programs.
  • The American Society for Enology and Viticulture sponsors undergraduate and graduate students scholarships. These specialized awards are designed for students pursing this very elite field of study—horticulture of vineyards and grapes. Winners must have top GPA. Awards are open to student members of the Society and payable in semester cash stipends. Funding may vary.

College and University Sources

One of your best educational advocates—your college or university—should be tops on your list of scholarship sources. Examples:

  • One of the most prestigious and large scholarships is the UC-Davis Rossi Prize. Napa Valley high school students enrolling the Enology and Viticulture program may compete for this $20,000 scholarship.
  • From the University of Missouri’s Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center come a list of current scholarships in specialties more akin to tropical botany and plant conservation.
  • Washington State University Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture administers a long list of scholarships. This area of Washington has become a rich winemaking region and as such the school offers both traditional horticulture as well as enology and viticulture studies. Scholarships are divided into both specialties and are abundant.