Georgia Farm Bureau will award a total of $14,250 in scholarships to 10 high school seniors who plan to pursue a college degree in agriculture, family and consumer sciences, or a related field, Brent Galloway, Newton County Farm Bureau president, recently announced. The top three students will each receive a scholarship of $3,000. The remaining seven students will each receive a $750 scholarship. Students are eligible to submit an application if they, a parent or legal guardian were a member of Georgia Farm Bureau as of September 1, 2009. The scholarships are sponsored by the Georgia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company in cooperation with the Georgia Farm Bureau Women's Committee.

Applicants must plan to enter a unit of the University System of Georgia or Berry College during the 2010-2011 academic year to pursue an undergraduate degree in agricultural and environmental sciences, family and consumer sciences or a related agricultural field. All applications must be submitted by Friday, February 26, 2010.

"I would like to encourage any of our local high school seniors who are planning to pursue a degree in agricultural and environmental sciences, family and consumer sciences or a related agricultural field to consider applying for the Farm Bureau Scholarship," said Brent Galloway, Newton County Farm Bureau president.

Contact the Newton County Farm Bureau office at 770.786.7201 for more information about the scholarship program or to obtain an application. You may also download a copy of the application by going to www.gfb.org and selecting GFB Programs, then Ag in the Classroom. The application includes a list of all the University System of Georgia Institutions students may attend to qualify for the scholarship and examples of qualifying majors. All scholarship applications must be approved and signed by the Farm Bureau president of the county where Farm Bureau membership is held before being submitted to the Georgia Farm Bureau home office.

"Farm Bureau welcomes the opportunity to assist our state's future agriculture leaders in continuing their education," said Nancy Mitcham, Newton County Farm Bureau Women's Committee chairman.

The scholarship recipients will be announced in May 2010. The scholarships will be distributed in the summer of 2010 after the recipients provide confirmation of their enrollment in a college/university and their major area of study.

Georgia Farm Bureau is the state's largest general farm organization. Its volunteer members actively participate in local, district and state activities that promote agriculture awareness to their non-farming neighbors. GFB also has 20 commodity advisory committees that give the organization input on issues pertinent to the major commodities grown in Georgia.