The Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association and the Center for Dairy Excellence Foundation of Pennsylvania will offer twelve $3,000 scholarships to undergraduate students for the 2026 – 2027 academic year to directly support Student Leader Scholarships. At least one but no more than three scholarships will be specifically designated for an incoming freshman. The purpose of these scholarships is to provide recognition, encouragement, and financial assistance to outstanding students enrolled in academic programs that support the dairy industry.
Consideration for this scholarship shall be given to Pennsylvania residents who are full-time undergraduate students planning to enroll or currently enrolled in a qualifying field of study, which includes: Dairy and Animal Science, Ag Marketing and Business, Nutrition, Food Science, Ag and Extension Education, Ag Business Management, Ag Engineering, or related fields. Students may apply for the scholarship in subsequent years, but a student can only receive the $3,000 scholarship two times during their undergraduate academic career.
Selection of the scholarship winners will be based on the completed application within the following criteria: academic performance; apparent commitment to a career related to the dairy industry; evidence of leadership, character, and integrity; and application compliance. There is no GPA requirement. However, a student’s GPA is taken into consideration within the academic performance category.
Each scholarship shall be awarded for one academic year. The scholarship will be paid to the student upon authorization of enrollment by the appropriate academic institution officer. All applications must be submitted by May 1, 2026, to be considered eligible. Applications will be reviewed by a sub-committee consisting of board members from the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association, Center for Dairy Excellence, and Dairy Excellence Foundation. They will make the final decision on the candidates to receive the scholarships.
The entire application must be completed as well as a photo of the applicant, current transcript and a letter of recommendation must be sent to scholars@centerfordairyexcellence.org. The use of AI to complete this scholarship application is strongly discouraged.