The Paulding County Master Gardeners provide education and information about horticulture to the citizens of Paulding County. In 2024, they will be offering their 9th annual college scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to provide access to educational opportunities for Paulding County residents. The scholarship was developed from money from their annual plant sale. The Master Gardeners want anyone pursuing a degree in agriculture, with priority given to horticulture-based majors, to have the opportunity to further their education. The scholarship will be up to $2,000. (Number and dollar amount of scholarship(s) to be determined by committee members.)
The application is open to any Paulding County high school (Paulding, Wayne Trace, or Antwerp), home school graduates, or any 4-Her who was involved in Paulding County 4-H via cross-county lines. Applicants must have completed one year of further education at a college, university, or technical/trade school in the fields of horticulture, agriculture, conservation, or forestry. College credit plus or classes during high school where a student achieves above a sophomore status will not count if the student is in their first physical year past high school. The scholarship will be awarded regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, gender, disability, or national origin.
The recipient is determined by the Scholarship Committee of the Paulding County Master Gardeners based on the applications submitted. Priority will be given to horticulture majors. Applicants shall list leadership qualities in youth organizations, community activities, and agricultural activities. The committee may request an interview once applications are reviewed. Applicants must mail a completed and signed application with all attachments required on the application to the Paulding County Master Gardeners, 503 Fairgrounds Drive, Paulding, Ohio 45879. The application must be postmarked by May 15, 2024. Hand-delivered applications will not be accepted.
The scholarship winner(s) will be decided by July 15, 2024, and the monies awarded in the fall of 2024 directly to the recipient(s). Guidelines on the value of the scholarship(s) and requirements for receiving scholarship monies will be sent to the recipient(s) only. The recipient will be set up as a vendor of the Ohio State University and will receive a 1099 form from the Ohio State University for tax purposes. All decisions made by the scholarship committee are final.