Cargill will award $350,000 in scholarships to high school seniors who live in communities where Cargill has operations and plan to enroll in post-secondary education next fall.

The national program will award 350 scholarships of $1,000. In addition, each recipient’s high school will receive a $200 grant. National FFA will process the applications and select the scholarship recipients, although students do not need to be FFA members to be eligible for Cargill’s program. Students are chosen based on academic achievement and leadership in extracurricular and community activities.

“We are pleased to join FFA in recognizing outstanding students and supporting their educational goals,” said Mark Murphy, assistant vice president of corporate affairs for Cargill.

“We recognize that our continued success depends on the growth and health of our communities and partners, including our local schools and young people,”

“FFA prepares young people to lead, grow and achieve future success in more than 300 diverse careers through agricultural education,” said Dr. Larry D, Case, chief executive officer of the National FFA Organization, “FFA scholarships are paving the way for future industry leaders to get the education they deserve.”

Scholarship guidelines and the application are available at www.cargill.com, keyword scholarship, and www.ffa.org. The application requires the signature of a local Cargill employee. Applications are due at 5 p.m. on Feb. 15. Scholarships will be awarded in May.