COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Soybean Council Foundation (OSCF) is pleased to announce scholarship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students for the 2023-2024 academic year.
The scholarship program encourages undergraduate and graduate students at Ohio colleges and universities to pursue degrees in one of the many academic fields that support the future of the soybean industry, including agriculture, business, communication, economics, education, engineering, science and technology.
“These scholarships were created to support students who will make an impact on the soybean industry,” said Cindy Layman, Hardin County soybean farmer and OSCF scholarship committee member. “One of my favorite times of year is when we get to sit down with students and hear about their passion for the future of agriculture.” The OSCF scholarship program has awarded over $500,000 in scholarships since 2008.
2023-2024 Undergraduate Scholarships
- Seven undergraduate scholarships of up to $3,000 each will be awarded.
- One $3,000 Robinson W. Joslin Scholarship, which was established in memory of Rob Joslin, a soybean farmer and long-time leader in the soybean industry, to recognize a student who has demonstrated outstanding leadership potential.
- One $5,000 Bhima Vijayendran Scholarship, named to honor Dr. Vijayendran’s contributions to the soybean industry through his scientific research and commercialization activities at Battelle.
- New to the OSCF program this year are two $10,000 Richard Cocks Scholarships, to be distributed across three years ($3,333/year), for students who are current freshmen and entering their sophomore year of college in the fall of 2023. This scholarship was founded to recognize individuals from rural areas pursuing degrees in the agriculture field. This is a renewable scholarship, and recipients are not eligible for other OSCF scholarships during its funding.
Applicants must be Ohio residents enrolled as full-time students at an Ohio college or university, having attained at least sophomore status by the fall of 2023, with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Eligible majors include biology, biochemistry, bioengineering, molecular biology, chemistry, engineering, biotechnology, bioenergy, biofuels, food science, crop science, environmental science, agricultural communications, agricultural business, agricultural education or any of the agricultural disciplines or related fields.
2023-2024 Graduate Scholarships
Three scholarships of up to $5,000 each are available to graduate students enrolled as full-time students at an Ohio college or university and who have proof of legal residency in the United States. Applicants must be conducting research in biotechnology, bio-based materials, bioengineering, crop production, plant pathology, crop science, agronomy, soybean breeding or a related field, and must be focused on advancing the soybean industry.
The undergraduate and graduate application deadline is Jan. 13, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. EST.
All OSCF scholarships will be competitively awarded with funds paid directly to the educational institution. The Richard Cocks Scholarship is the only renewable scholarship. All other scholarships are not renewable, and recipients may reapply. For more information and to apply, visit SoyOhio.org/Scholarships.
Ohio Soybean Association 2023-2024 Scholarship
The Ohio Soybean Association (OSA), the membership and policy arm for Ohio soybean farmers, will offer one $1,000 scholarship to students of any major with a passion for the soybean industry. The scholarship will be applied to the 2023-2024 school year. Applicants must be a child or grandchild of an OSA member or be a Student and Young Adult Member themselves (SYA membership is free). Those interested should complete forms.gle/7hciQU27fPy11GB78 by Friday, Jan. 13, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Contact Emilie Regula Hancock at eregula.hancock@soyohio.org with questions.
