Scholarships

EXPLANATION OF ELIGIBILITY: 

2025-2026 School Year

River Valley AgCredit awards up to $20,000 in scholarships each year to deserving agricultural students.

Scholarships will be awarded to incoming freshmen enrolled in an agricultural curriculum at an accredited university in each area designated, as well as students currently enrolled in an agricultural curriculum at an accredited university in each area designated. The committee has the authority to designate the scholarships as they deem necessary. 

• In the West Region, one of these scholarships will be named the “Eldon Heathcott” Scholarship and will require the applicant be attending Murray State University.
• Another scholarship will be named the “David Leonard” Memorial Scholarship.

Listed below are the criteria for eligibility:

1. Applicants must be enrolled in an agricultural curriculum at an accredited university.
2. Applicants cannot be an immediate family member of an employee and/or director.
3. Applicants must be the primary resident of one of the following counties:
   1. Kentucky Counties of – Graves, Carlisle, Hickman, Fulton, Ballard, McCracken, Calloway, or Marshall
   2. Tennessee Counties of – Hamilton, Rhea, Marion, Bradley, Polk, Bledsoe, Sequatchie, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, Roane, or Loudon
4. Scholarship amounts vary by recipient; total awards for the cycle will not exceed $20,000.
5. High School students (Incoming College Freshman) recipients must attend their High School’s Awards Ceremony to receive their scholarship award.

Each award will be a one-time scholarship. The scholarship is to be used to pay education-related expenses and will be issued in the form of a check payable to the university of which the student is attending. 

Students may apply every year they are eligible.

Applications must be received at the River Valley AgCredit Administrative Office on or before March 13, 2026.

The address is:

River Valley AgCredit 
ATTENTION:  Carsey Harned 
2731 Olivet Church Rd Paducah, KY 42001

The selection committee will consist of current board members of River Valley AgCredit. Other individuals designated by the CEO of River Valley may also serve on the selection committee.  They will review all applications and choose semifinalists (the number is dependent upon the number of eligible applications received.)  The selection committee will conduct interviews of the semifinalists. They will choose the recipients.

* The directors and judges of the scholarship selection committee reserve the right to reduce the amount of scholarships awarded based upon the number of eligible applications received.

Incoming Freshmen ApplicationCollege Student Application