Beginning in 2003, the Ellis County Master Gardener Association (ECMGA) has made scholarships available to graduating Ellis County high school seniors who had an elected academic major in a horticulture/ life sciences or related field. Since then, 41 graduating high school seniors have been awarded $78,600.

One of the objectives of the ECMGA has been to build partnerships with the Ellis County community to expand horticultural education and opportunities. In keeping with this objective, the ECMGA will again make scholarship funds available in 2019 to deserving high school seniors.

To qualify, the applicant must be a 2019 graduating high school senior residing in Ellis County from an Ellis County High School, Ellis County Charter High School or Ellis County Home School Program. The applicant must have an elected academic major in a horticulture/life sciences or related field that includes, but is not limited to horticulture, agriculture, environmental science, forestry, botany, biology (e.g.: plant genetics, plant physiology), landscape design or entomology. Other horticulture/ life sciences – related fields of studies are delineated in the scholarship application package available on the ECMGA website.

Applicants must be able to provide proof of acceptance at an accredited institution of higher education.

In addition, this year the ECMGA has decided to allow former ECMGA College Scholarship Awardees currently enrolled in horticulture programs/life sciences degree plans to also apply for a ECMGA 2019 College Scholarship to continue their college/university studies.

Students applying for the ECMGA College Scholarship are invited to visit http://www.ecmga.com to download the application package found under the “What’s Happening” tab.

The completed application may be submitted by registered mail (return receipt requested) or in person to the Texas AgriLife Extension Service office located at 701 South I-35, Suite 3, Waxahachie, TX 75165.

If additional information is needed regarding the ECMGA Scholarship, please call (972) 825-5175 (Ellis County AgriLife Extension Office) or George Cole, Chairman, ECMGA 2019 College Scholarship Program at 972/937-2440 or mailto:georgedciii@att.net.

All scholarship applications must be received no later than 4 p.m. Mar. 15, 2019.