Scholarship Opportunities
Check out the featured scholarships! We will keep you updated as new scholarships become available. If you have any scholarships to post on the National ACT website, please contact Rylee Coy, Communications Coordinator, at nact.comms@gmail.com.
Forrest Bassford Student Award – Due February 21, 2025
The student winner receives an all-expenses-paid trip to participate in LPC’s annual convention and now the Ag Media Summit. This award recognizes and rewards excellence, leadership and encourages professionalism among students. This opportunity provides the recipient face-to-face exchanges with leaders in livestock publishing.
Forrest Bassford’s name was appended to the LPC Student Award in 1992 in honor of his contribution to LPC, and his particular interest in furthering the Student Award.
The overall winner receives a $2,000 scholarship and up to four additional students each receive $750 travel scholarships to attend the convention. Following are recipients of the Forrest Bassford Student Award.
This award from the Livestock Publications Council is sponsored by Alltech.
To learn more and apply for this award, visit the Livestock Publications Council website.
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Arthur Leal Study Abroad Scholarship – Due March 1, 2025
The Arthur Leal Memorial Study Abroad Scholarship has been established in honor of the late Dr. Arthur Leal, who was a well-known, influential young agricultural communications faculty member at the University of Tennessee. Dr. Leal, too early in his career, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 36. As a student at the University of Arkansas and at the University of Florida, Dr. Leal studied abroad several times and was passionate about encouraging his own students to participate in international experiences. This scholarship fund was established by Dr. Leal’s family and friends through the National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow.
Scholarship Criteria
Dr. Leal valued learning of all kinds, but his favorite way to learn was through experiences. Therefore, students seeking to participate in experiential learning opportunities are encouraged to apply.
- Students must be participating in university-sponsored study abroad opportunities, which may include (but are not limited to) coursework abroad, exchange programs, study tours, international research projects, and internships. Evidence of acceptance into a study abroad program must be provided in order to receive funds.
- Students must have completed at least one full semester of coursework in an academic program by the start of their international experience to eligible to apply. The scholarship is open to students at all stages of their academic careers—undergraduate through doctoral students are eligible.
- Students must be dues-paying of National ACT in the academic year of application.
- Students must submit a statement of purpose that includes clearly stated goals related to their proposed study abroad experience.
- Students whose study abroad experiences focus on the discipline/profession of agricultural communications will receive preference, but all types of study abroad programs will be considered.
Download information about the scholarship’s criteria, grading rubric, and application process: NationalACT_Leal_Scholarship_2025.
Ag Communicators Network Scholarships – Due April 15, 2025
The Agricultural Communicators Network (ACN) offers two scholarships for undergraduate students pursuing careers in agricultural communications:
- Dr. James Evans Scholarship – $3,000
- Past Presidents’ Scholarship – $1,500
To apply, students must be National ACT members. If a local chapter is unavailable, students may join as individual members by emailing nact.secretary@gmail.com and nact.president@gmail.com.
How It Works
The selection committee will review applications and choose three finalists to interview for the Dr. James Evans Scholarship at the Ag Media Summit (July 26-29, 2025, in Rogers, Arkansas). Finalists will receive travel stipends up to $1,000 and must attend AMS to remain eligible.
Application Deadline: April 15, 2025
Required materials include an application form, cover letter, resume, transcript, writing sample, and one professional reference. Reference letters must be sent directly by the recommender.
For full details and application instructions, visit ACN’s website.
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ACN-ACT Student Contest
Win funding to attend the Ag Media Summit!
The Agricultural Communicators Network (ACN) is offering a student contest exclusively for National ACT members to support attendance at the 2025 Ag Media Summit (AMS)—the largest annual gathering of agricultural communicators. AMS provides students with networking, professional development, and career-launching opportunities through workshops, industry speakers, and the annual National ACT meetings.
How to Enter
Students (individually or in teams of up to four) will develop a research-based marketing plan to recruit recent college graduates as ACN members. The plan must include:
- Strategic document with research, objectives, timeline, and budget
- Three creative assets (e.g., social media posts, press releases, advertisements)
- Bonus points available for original research, SWOT analysis, or member profiles
Deadline: April 15, 2025
Submit entries via email to Courtney Girgis (cllgirgis@gmail.com) AND Chelsea Dinterman (chelsea.dinterman@agriculture.com) by 11:59 p.m. CT.
For full contest details, judging criteria, and submission instructions, visit ACN’s website.
