Scholarships worth $2,000 each will be awarded to 105 students across Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin

Starting Dec. 15, graduating high school seniors across Compeer Financial’s 144-county territory in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin can apply for scholarships worth $2,000. The competitive scholarship program will award a total of 105 scholarships, 35 in each state. The application can be accessed online from Dec. 15, 2025, until it closes Feb. 15, 2026, and winners will be notified six weeks later.

To be eligible, graduating high school seniors must hold a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale; reside within Compeer’s 144-county territory; and designate an agricultural major, express interest in an agriculture-related field, or have an agricultural or rural background. The application process includes completing the online application, supplying a digital copy of a current transcript reflecting cumulative GPA for all completed high school semesters, and an essay response to one of two prompts:

  • Option A: Compeer Financial’s mission is to enrich agriculture and rural America. Why are agriculture and rural America important to the health and well-being of our country, and how will you contribute to its success?
  • Option B: Agriculture and rural America continue to face challenges. What do you believe is the biggest challenge, and how can you directly address this challenge with your continued education and future career?

“We are proud to support the future of agriculture and our rural communities through our high school scholarship program. Equally as important is encouraging urban students to pursue careers in agricultural fields, which is why we have designated one scholarship per state to a student from a metropolitan region,” said Karen Schieler, manager of Compeer Giving at Compeer Financial.

Metropolitan areas include Cook County in Illinois; Hennepin and Ramsey counties in Minnesota; and Milwaukee County in Wisconsin. Since 2018 when the Fund for Rural America began awarding high school scholarships, it has provided nearly $1.5 million to almost 1,000 graduating seniors to support educational tuition expenses at community colleges, universities and technical schools.

More information about the scholarships and the online application can be found at compeer.com/scholarships.