Scholarships

Agriculture feeds the world—and its future lies in education. That’s why Southern AgCredit awards nearly $30,000 in scholarships annually to deserving high school and college students with interests in agriculture. By fueling the fire of ag education with ag scholarships, Southern AgCredit seeks to ensure a healthier agricultural industry and a healthier America.

Each applicant must be a child, grandchild, or spouse of a current Southern AgCredit borrower (or be a borrower themselves). Scholarship winners will be selected based on school and community involvement, scholastic performance, educational goals and financial needs. All scholarship winners will be announced in April 2026.

The deadline for entry is March 17, 2026. Winners will be notified in April 2026. 

Selection Criteria

• Scholarship: measured by grades and transcripts (5 points)
• Leadership: measured by involvement in student government, civic and church groups (10 points)
• Extracurricular Activities: measured by participation in sports, school and community organizations, as well as work experience (10 points)
• Essay: measured by content and message (25 points)

Southern AgCredit Millennium Scholarships

Each Spring, Southern AgCredit will award up to 20 “Millennium” scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each to graduating high school seniors who plan to attend an institution of higher education within the next year.

To apply, complete the application form linked below, and submit it—along with a one-page essay—to alicia.ledbetter@southernagcredit.com by March 17, 2026.

The Mr. Emery Skelton Scholarship

In honor of a former longtime Southern AgCredit board member, Mr. Emery Skelton, one $2,500 scholarship will be awarded to a deserving student who attends, or is planning to attend Mississippi State University. Applicants may be graduating high school seniors or current MSU students majoring in Agriculture or a related field (e.g. Ag Economics, Ag Business, etc.). Preference will be given to a student from the Mississippi Delta region because of Mr. Skelton’s close ties to the Delta. Applicants must not have previously won an Emery Skelton Scholarship.

To apply, complete the application form linked below, and submit it—along with a one-page essay—to alicia.ledbetter@southernagcredit.com by March 17, 2026.

Southern AgCredit Grand Achievement Scholarships

Five $1,000  “Grand Achievement” scholarships will be awarded to college students entering or in their sophomore, junior or senior year. To be eligible, students must be majoring in Agriculture (e.g. Ag Economics, Ag Business, etc.) at a Mississippi or Louisiana based institution. Applicants for this scholarship must not have won a previous Southern AgCredit scholarship.

To apply, complete the application form linked below, and submit it—along with a one-page essay—to alicia.ledbetter@southernagcredit.com by March 17, 2026.

The Mr. Jimmie Dick Carter Scholarship

In honor of a former longtime Southern AgCredit board member, Mr. Jimmie Dick Carter, one $2,500 scholarship will be awarded to a deserving student who attends, or is planning to attend Mississippi State University. Applicants may be graduating high school seniors or current MSU students majoring in Agriculture or a related field (e.g. Ag Economics, Ag Business, etc.) Applicants must not have previously won a Jimmie Dick Carter Scholarship.

To apply, complete the application form linked below, and submit it—along with a one-page essay—to alicia.ledbetter@southernagcredit.com by March 17, 2026.