Missouri's Cattlemen Foundation Scholarships

Scholarship Sponsored by Missouri's Cattlemen Foundation

Since its inception in 1997, the Cattlemen Foundation of Missouri has granted over 815 scholarships, amounting to a total of $801,500. The scholarship scheme is accessible to both high school seniors on the verge of graduation and students currently enrolled in college. The scholarships are presented at the Annual Convention & Trade Show of the MCA, held in January.

The deadline for the 2025 Scholarship is Monday, October 13, 2025, and the guidelines are as follows:

1. The applicant must be a resident of Missouri and either a current paid member of the Missouri Junior Cattlemen's Association or have a parent/legal guardian who is a current paid member of the Missouri Cattlemen's Association.
2. Three recommendation letters must be submitted by the applicant. One of these letters must be from a current member of the Missouri Cattlemen's Association. These letters should be uploaded online.
3. The applicant should not have been a previous recipient of a full ($1,000 or above) scholarship from the Cattlemen Foundation of Missouri.
4. The applicant must be a high school senior or a full-time college student with a GPA of 2.5/4.0 or higher. They must have been a full-time student (either in high school or college) the previous year and must not have turned 23 by January 1, 2023. Priority will be given to students pursuing the following degree programs: 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 high school or college transcript to the Cattlemen Foundation of Missouri along with the application, as proof of GPA and enrollment.
6. The applicant must show potential for leadership through participation in extracurricular activities and work experiences.
7. Preference may be given to students who plan to attend or are currently attending Missouri colleges and universities. Those in need of financial assistance may also be given preference.
8. The Cattlemen Foundation of Missouri's Scholarship Committee will review all applications and notify all applicants of their decision by mail on or before November 30, 2025. Scholarship recipients will be recognized at the Missouri Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show, which will take place from January 21-23, 2026, in Osage Beach, Missouri.
9. After the applications have been evaluated, the top five applicants will be chosen for an interview, which will be conducted during the Missouri Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show. During this interview, the panel of judges will select the overall recipient, who will receive an additional $2,000, and the reserve recipient, who will receive an additional $1,000.
10. Unless otherwise stated, all scholarships from the Cattlemen Foundation of Missouri will be $1,000.
11. The scholarships will be disbursed during the 2026 calendar year. To claim the scholarship, recipients must provide the Cattlemen Foundation of Missouri with proof of college enrollment. The scholarship funds will be sent directly to the recipients’ institutions. If a recipient does not utilize all of the funds, the remaining amount should be returned to the Cattlemen Foundation of Missouri.
12. All scholarship donor agreements submitted to the MCF for approval must align with the MCF's mission and policy. The MCF board may make exceptions to these general guidelines.

Essay Topic for the Scholarship: Why should you be awarded the Cattlemen Foundation of Missouri Scholarship?

Important note for applicants:

Please use the original form available on the website.

Only the space provided should be used. No additional pages should be added, except where specified (i.e., essay, transcript). Resumes and/or extra pages will not be sent to the judges.

The following point system will be used to score applications: Communication - 10 points; Leadership - 20 points; Community Involvement - 15 points; Agricultural Involvement - 20 points; Scholastic/Academic - 10 points; Financial Need - 5 points; Involvement in the Cattlemen’s Association - 5 points; Work History - 5 points; and General Impression - 10 points.