Scholarship Opportunities
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences offers nearly $2 million in scholarships to our students each year. There also are additional scholarships dedicated to undergraduate students in the Department of Horticulture. One online application will allow you to apply for scholarships in both the college and department. The application period runs from December 26 to February 15.
Apply for Department of Horticulture Scholarships
S.E. Ainsworth Horticulture Scholarship +
This scholarship was established to support students enrolled in the Department of Horticulture with a focus in floriculture, fruit production, vegetable production or nursery management.
Criteria:
- Recipients shall be enrolled in the Department of Horticulture with a focus in floriculture, fruit production, vegetable production, or nursery management.
- Recipients shall be residents of the State of Iowa and citizens of the United States as permitted by Federal and State law, and University policy.
- Recipients shall have demonstrated financial need as determined by the Office of Student Financial Aid.
- Recipients shall have high academic achievement as determined by the administering authority.
- An additional scholarship named the Ray Schulenberg Memorial Scholarship will be given to those who meet all of the above criteria and shall have an interest in native prairie restoration projects in the Midwest as determined by the administering authority. Recipients of this scholarship may also be enrolled in Turfgrass management in the Department of Horticulture.
Mary E. Amos Horticulture Fund +
This scholarship was established for general educational purposes for students majoring in Horticulture with an interest in applied horticulture.
Funds disbursed from the endowed account may be used for scholarships, visiting faculty, or other activities that will contribute to the overall educational program of the Department of Horticulture.
Jerry A. Benning Scholarship +
The student shall be a resident of Iowa; pursuing a degree in Horticulture; have a grade point average of 3.5 from high school or the preceding college year; qualifying students may receive this scholarship for up to four consecutive years; shall qualify for financial aid.
Mildred D. Bradbury Scholarship +
This is an endowed scholarship established through a bequest of Gail M. Bradbury to provide scholarships in the Department of Horticulture.
Criteria:
- The recipient shall be pursuing a major in the Department of Horticulture
- Term: All scholarships awarded hereunder shall be for one year, but may be renewed at the discretion of the Chair of the Department of Horticulture provided the student continues to remain eligible per the stated criteria
- Eligibility: This scholarship shall be made available to students regardless of class standing.
Bob Clark Memorial Scholarship +
This endowed scholarship was established by the Bob Clark Family of Des Moines in 1991. Funds to establish and continue this scholarship come from the family and friends of Bob Clark.
Criteria:
- Students will have met the qualifications for enrollment at Iowa State University.
- Students will be juniors, seniors, or graduate students.
- Students will be majoring in turfgrass management.
- Students will have a college accumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher.
- A student may receive this scholarship for consecutive years.
Robert M. Clark Memorial Scholarship +
Roger A. Davis was a 1950 alumnus of Iowa State University. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Journalism. It was his intent to memorialize his father-in-law, Robert M. Clark, through this scholarship.
Criteria:
- Recipient shall be majoring in Horticulture at Iowa State University.
- Recipient shall demonstrate financial need.
- Recipient shall have achieved a minimum cumulative GPA average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
- Term: All scholarships awarded hereunder shall be for one (1) year, but may be renewed at the discretion of the Chair of the Department of Horticulture provided the student continues to meet stated criteria.
- Eligibility: This scholarship shall be made available to students who have completed their sophomore year at Iowa State University.
Department of Horticulture Graduate Scholarship +
An account was established in 2013 to accept gifts for general graduate scholarships. Funds will be used to provide scholarships for graduate students in the Department of Horticulture.
Derek Harmon Memorial Scholarship +
The Derek Harmon Memorial Scholarship was established by colleagues at Veenker Memorial Golf Course and Derek’s family members. Derek was employed at Veenker for nearly four years as an ISU student studying Turfgrass Science. Derek completed internships at Pinehurst, Biltmore Country Club, the Roaring Fork Club and at Veenker Memorial Golf Course. Derek had a passion for nature and enjoyed fishing, hunting, gardening and woodworking. Derek passed away in 2009 at the age of twenty-seven. Students sharing passions similar to Derek’s are encouraged to apply.
Criteria:
- Recipients shall be in good academic standing as determined by the administering authority.
- Preference shall be given to students studying Turfgrass Science in the Department of Horticulture
- Term: All awards shall be for one (1) year and may be renewed at the discretion of the administering authority so long as recipients continue to meet the above stated criteria.
- Eligibility: This award shall be made available to students of undergraduate class standing.
- Administration: Annual reports shall be provided to the family of Derek Harmon so long as contact information is maintained with the Foundation.
Erwin Memorial Award +
The award shall be open to undergraduate full-time students enrolled in the College of Sciences and Humanities as Horticulture majors.
Charles V. Hall Scholarship +
This is an endowed scholarship provided by Dr. Charles V. Hall, former Department Head, Department of Horticulture, friends, faculty and alumni.
The students who receive these scholarships shall meet or exceed the following qualifications:
- They shall be Freshman or transfer students who are enrolled in a curriculum in the Department of Horticulture.
- They shall meet the academic standards of the Department of Horticulture and Iowa State University.
- They shall have demonstrated potential for a career in some area of horticulture.
- They shall give evidence of need for financial aid.
Hattie & Isabel Traviss Memorial Horticulture Scholarship +
This endowed scholarship was established in 1993 by Mr. P. N. Traviss in honor of his mother who loved floriculture and enjoyed garden shows and related activities. Mr. P. N. Traviss wanted to memorialize his mother by establishing this endowed scholarship in horticulture in her memory.
Criteria:
- Shall be enrolled at Iowa State University and majoring in Horticulture, preferably a female specializing in floriculture.
- Shall give evidence of a strong desire to earn a degree in Horticulture and shall demonstrate willingness to work hard in the pursuit of his/her educational goals.
- Financial need may or may not be a qualifying factor.
Horticulture Club Scholarship +
The Horticulture Club awards 4 scholarships: one to a freshman, one to a sophomore, one to a junior, and one to a senior. The recipients must be active members of the Horticulture Club and must be in good academic standing.
William J. Hughes Horticulture Scholarship +
The Alice Hughes Speraw family, the Ralph Hughes family, and the Dwight Hughes family established this scholarship to honor the memory of William J. Hughes who devoted the majority of his life to the field of Horticulture.
Criteria:
- Recipients shall be enrolled in the Department of Horticulture
- Recipients shall have completed at least two (2) semesters at Iowa State University prior to receiving this award.
- Recipients shall have demonstrated leadership as evidenced by participation in extracurricular or community organizations and activities as determined by the administering authority.
- Preference shall be given to students with a major interest in nursery management, landscape design, or garden center management as determined by the administering authority.
- Term: All awards shall be for one (1) year and may not be renewed.
- Eligibility: This award shall be made available to students of senior class standing.
Isabelle M. Isely Scholarship +
Support of this scholarship came from an initial gift from Duane Isely and other alumni and friends in memory of Isabelle M. Isely.
Awards shall be based on scholarship, financial need, moral character, and a strong probability for success in pursuit of the recipient’s profession.
The amount of the award shall not exceed the earned income but shall be at least $200 per year.
Elmer Lundberg Scholarship +
Elmer Lundberg was a 1939 graduate of Iowa State University, majoring in Horticulture. During his time at ISU, Elmer was involved in campus activities and was a member of the fruit judging team. In addition, Elmer was able to support his college education by working in the greenhouses of the Horticulture Department. Elmer often recalled fondly his time at ISU. His family created this scholarship to memorialize their father through a gift to support students interested in pursing a career in Horticulture, particularly greenhouse management.
Criteria:
- Recipients shall be majoring in Horticulture with an emphasis in Greenhouse Management.
- Recipient shall have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale.
- Preference shall be given to those students demonstrating significant financial need, as determined by the awarding authority.
- Term: All scholarships awarded hereunder shall be for one year, but may be renewed for up to two additional years at the discretion of the awarding authority, provided the recipient continues to meet stated criteria.
- Eligibility: This scholarship shall be made available to undergraduate students with sophomore class standing or higher.
- Note: The donors intend that the annual spending allocation be awarded to one student rather than dividing the earnings between multiple recipients.
Jim Nau Endowment +
James Nau is a graduate of the Department of Horticulture (1982) at Iowa State University and is passionate about helping students studying horticulture. He wants to see the students succeed both in the classroom and in their various school activities and clubs.
Criteria:
- Recipients shall be enrolled in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences majoring in Horticulture.
- All awards shall be for one (1) year and may be renewed at the discretion of the administering authority so long as recipients continue to meet the above stated criteria.
- This award shall be made available to students of undergraduate or graduate class standing.
Kemper A. Kirkpatrick Memorial Scholarship Fund +
Support of this scholarship came from a gift from Bruce A. Kirkpatrick, Horticulture Class of 1952.
Criteria:
- May be a resident of the United States, an international student, or a minority student.
- Shall be pursuing an undergraduate degree in horticulture, including horticulture education or extension.
- Shall have demonstrated promise for a career in horticulture.
- If a freshman student, shall have a 2.95 grade point average (GPA) from his/her senior year in high school; or, if a transfer college student, shall have a 2.5 GPA for college work.
- Shall have qualified for financial aid as determined by the Office of Student Financial Aid of this University.
- A student may qualify for one of these awards in successive years, but shall not receive an award for more than four (4) years.
Ruth Peltier Scholarship +
The donor established this scholarship in honor of his wife, Ruth A. Peltier, who although not trained in the horticultural profession had a great appreciation of the value and beauty of plants.
Criteria:
- Recipients shall be enrolled in the Department of Horticulture.
- Preference shall be given to students who are currently working in the Department of Horticulture.
Edward R. Robinson Scholarship in Horticulture +
Support of this scholarship came from a bequest from the will of Maryland P. Robinson, of Mondovi, Wisconsin.
Criteria:
- Shall be undergraduate students in horticulture.
- Shall present evidence of financial need.
- Shall be doing acceptable academic work as determined by the horticulture department.
Arvil L. and Elva Acklam Stark Horticulture Scholarship +
This scholarship was established by Mrs. Elva Acklam Stark in memory of her husband, Arvil L. Stark, to assist future generations of students studying Horticulture at Iowa State University. Stark, with a BS in Agriculture from Utah State Agricultural College, entered Iowa State College of Agriculture on a research fellowship in pomology to obtain his master’s and PhD degrees. He became Utah’s first Extension Horticulturist.
Criteria:
- First preference shall be given to residents of the State of Utah, second preference to the State of Iowa, and then to the residents of other U.S. states.
- Shall be a graduate student in Horticulture doing research in fruit culture, vegetable culture or organic agriculture.
- Shall have a grade point average of at least 3.0 from the preceding college year.
- Shall have promise for a career in extension service.
- Shall qualify for financial aid.
- The committee shall consider the student’s initiative, superior potential, and personal integrity (shown by the student’s participation in leadership groups, honor societies, or internships).
- Students may receive the scholarship for up to a limit of four consecutive years if the student continues to meet the original criteria for qualifications.
C.E. Watts Fund +
Mrs. Watts died October 26, 2004 and left the home farm of her husband, C. Everett Watts to the ISU Foundation. It was her request that the farm either be used for work in floriculture or if deemed advisable by the ISU Foundation to dispose of the farm, with the proceeds from the sale of the farm being invested and the income used for loans or scholarships for students majoring in floriculture or used for research in floriculture. She did this to fulfill the wishes of her late husband, C. Everett Watts, to honor his mother. After consulting with the Department of Horticulture, the ISU Foundation decided to sell the farm and applied the proceeds from that sale consistent with the Donor’s wishes.
Criteria:
- Distributions may be used for scholarships, assistantships, or loans for undergraduate or graduate students with a research interest in floriculture, including greenhouse crop production, as determined by the Department Chair.
- Distributions may be used to support floriculture research as determined by the Department Chair.
Ralph W. Williams Scholarship Award +
Criteria:
- U.S. citizens who are students.
- Older than traditional college age.
- In the ISU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
- Preference shall be given to former 4-H members who are studying pomology and are entering college as freshman students.
Wheelock Wilson Horticulture Scholarship +
Shall be selected on the basis of:
- Academic excellence.
- Interest in plant improvement, nursery management, and plant propagation.
- Sincere interest in pursuing a professional career in horticulture.
Zimmerman Memorial Award Fund +
Criteria:
- Outstanding junior majoring in Horticulture Criteria of scholarship, character and initiative.