Oregon FFA Association Scholarships

The Thornton FFA Scholarship was established in 1991 to encourage FFA members in the state of Oregon to pursue higher educational opportunities in agriculture with the ultimate goal of seeking a degree in agriculture. The Thornton family hopes that this scholarship will encourage people to physically work toward their goals and to responsibly contribute to excellence in production agriculture.

Criteria

1. Eligible students must have a minimum 2.8 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale) and be enrolled full time (12 or more credits on the quarter system) in an Oregon community college or university either as undergraduates majoring in an eligible agriculture degree or master’s degree students majoring in agricultural education planning to teach in Oregon. 

Eligible undergraduate degree programs include agriculture production and sciences, agriculture education, and agriculture business degrees, including, but not limited to the following: agricultural production, crop/plant sciences, animal sciences, range sciences, soil sciences, agricultural sciences, agricultural education/leadership, agricultural business/economics, precision agriculture, and pre-veterinary science/medicine.

Forestry, fisheries, wildlife, natural resources, marijuana/hemp/hop production, food science, viticulture, enology (winemaking), and zymology (fermentation science) are not eligible majors or career pathways for this scholarship.

2. Student selection shall be limited to Oregon high school graduates who completed a minimum of two years in an Oregon Agricultural Sciences and Technology Program (vocational agriculture) with membership in an Oregon high school FFA chapter at least their junior and senior years.

3. Students must be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents.

4. If equally qualified, a preference shall be given to students from the Yamhill-Carlton FFA program, then to students from Yamhill County, then to students from Polk County, then to students throughout the state of Oregon.

5. Recipients are eligible to receive the Thornton FFA Scholarship three times if they reapply and are reselected. If reapplying, please significantly change your applications by updating the financial section, adding recent pictures, updating your activities page, refreshing essays 2 and 3, and including current reference letters that highlight endeavors from the most recent year. Please ensure you are using the current year’s application.

6. Agricultural interest, scholarship, service, honesty, integrity, initiative, and determination as evidenced through school, jobs, community activities and FFA participation will be major deciding factors in the final selection.

Award Information

Student recipients will receive their scholarship in one payment to their college account spring term of the current school year, contingent upon verification of full-time enrollment and the Thornton Family's receipt of a thank you note within 30 days of scholarship award notification. The donor mailing address will be provided via email to scholarship nominees.