Springfield, IL – State Sen. Dan Rutherford (R-Pontiac) is encouraging local high school students to apply for a state-funded scholarship to promote careers in agriculture.

The annual Excellence in Agriculture Scholarship is a $2,500 scholarship awarded to five outstanding high school seniors to study agriculture at an Illinois college or university by the Office of the State Treasurer. The deadline for submitting the application is May 15, 2007. The application may be downloaded from the Senator’s Web site at www.DanRutherford.com.

“Agriculture is certainly the backbone to Illinois’ economy, and the linchpin to future growth and success,” said Rutherford. “This is a great opportunity for students looking to further their education by studying agriculture at any of the two-year or four-year colleges in Illinois.”

The scholarship criteria are as follows:

• A high school senior with a 2.75 GPA in the 2006-07 school year

• A resident of Illinois

• Accepted at an accredited higher education institution in Illinois by May 15, 2007

• Pursing an agriculture or agriculture-related field

The application must be postmarked on or before May 15, 2007 and must be submitted with the following:

• A typed essay (minimum 250 words) identifying the reason(s) you want to pursue a career in agriculture or an agriculture-related field
• An official high school transcript
• Two letters of reference, including one from a non-school source
• A list of extracurricular activities
• A statement of goals and future plans