Tractor Supply has announced the launch of the 2024 FFA Future Leaders Scholarship fundraising drive. The money raised will fund scholarships for FFA students pursuing a skilled trade or majoring in an agriculture-related field. The Tractor Supply Foundation established the FFA Future Leaders fund in 2022 with a $5 million commitment over five years, making it the largest agriculture scholarship of its kind.
Extending to November 10, customers can donate at checkout in Tractor Supply stores or online at TractorSupply.com to support the company’s goal of raising $1 million.
The funds will be used to support $5,000 scholarships for students attending two-year or trade schools and $10,000 scholarships for students pursuing agriculture-related studies in four-year programs. In partnership with the National FFA Organization, the Tractor Supply Company Foundation is underwriting the scholarship.
“As we enter our third year of the FFA Future Leaders Scholarship fundraiser, we are energized and inspired by the passion our customers and Team Members demonstrate for the future prosperity of Life Out Here,” said Marti Skold-Jordan, executive director of the Tractor Supply Foundation and National FFA Foundation Sponsors’ board member. “With this scholarship, we are proud to have helped bring hundreds of young people closer to achieving their goals, and are hopeful that, together, we can support hundreds more in the years ahead.”
The 2023 Future Leaders fundraising drive raised more than $1 million, generating scholarships for 143 FFA students representing 35 states. In its first two years, the FFA Future Leaders Scholarship Fund awarded 289 scholarships to students pursuing a wide range of agriculture-related studies and trade professions, from animal science and agricultural education to agricultural mechanics and welding. Recent scholarship recipients include:
- Emma Bangart from Stratford, Wisconsin, a junior at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls pursuing a degree in dairy science.
- Hannah Gideon from Russell, Kansas, a freshman studying environmental geoscience at Fort Hays State University.
- Alecia Gonzalez from Willow Creek, Montana, who is pursuing a certificate in welding from Highlands College of Montana Tech.
- Braedon Raven from Houston, Texas, a sophomore at Texas A&M University studying agricultural systems management with plans to be an engineer.
- Katelynn Sauers from Millmont, Pennsylvania, who is attending Pennsylvania College of Technology to study floriculture.
- Seth Timm from Boonville, Missouri, who is pursuing an associate’s degree in civil engineering at State Technical College of Missouri.
Scholarship recipients will have the opportunity to interview for career opportunities at Tractor Supply stores or distribution centers while pursuing their education. Additionally, Tractor Supply has earmarked internships at its Store Support Center in Brentwood, Tennessee, for scholarship recipients.
The Tractor Supply Company Foundation established the FFA Future Leaders scholarship fund to support students interested in fields that continue to face severe worker shortages. Despite a recent surge in enrollment in community college and vocational programs, worker shortages remain as the perceived stigma associated with choosing vocational school over a traditional four-year university persists among members of Gen Z. There are also millions of agriculture jobs that need to be filled as workers age out of the workforce and the next generation leaves family farms behind.
“We know our students play a key role in today’s talent pipeline,” said Molly Ball, president of the National FFA Foundation and chief marketing officer of the National FFA Organization. “They are our current and future leaders, and our corporate partners’ support of their education is key to helping our more than a million students achieve career success.”
Applications for 2025-2026 scholarships open on November 1 and extend through January 9.
