STARTREC Scholarship
STARTREC Scholarship
South Texas Agricultural Roadmap for Teaching, Research, Experiential Learning, and Careers in Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources
The ACC Agricultural Sciences department is proud to be collaborating with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Texas State University and South Texas College on the STARTREC program, funded through a grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Hispanic-Serving Institutions Education Grants Program. STARTREC aims to enhance the inclusivity and responsiveness of agricultural education in our region via the five following objectives:
- Establishing a clear educational roadmap for those interested in the agricultural field, with well-defined entry and exit points starting in high school through career attainment
- Increasing the number of FANR degrees awarded to underrepresented students
- Strengthening curricula offerings through coordinated efforts from the member institutions
- Providing increased experiential learning opportunities in both the classroom and through various FANR-related institutions
- Improving the integration and promotion of agricultural careers in high schools via training opportunities for high school STEM teachers, faculty, and counselors.
Benefits of our participation in STARTREC include enhanced articulation agreements between ACC and UTRGV and TSU for our students wishing to go on to earn a four-year degree, increased scholarship opportunities, and augmented classroom offerings utilizing the resources of each of the member institutions.
Criteria:
- Students must be enrolled or planning to enroll in the Agricultural Sciences Program at ACC.
- Students are encouraged to consider transferring to a four-year institution to continue their agricultural education. If interested, there are additional funding opportunities at our partner institutions, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and Texas State University.
How to Apply:
- Applications may be submitted through a Google Form, which can be found here: Application
- Students must submit a personal statement describing their interest in the program, future goals in the Agriculture Industry, and why they should be selected for the scholarship. The statement should be uploaded directly to the Google Form application noted above.
- Students must also submit a professional letter of recommendation. The letter MUST be from an instructor, counselor, community member, or employer. Letters of reference from a classmate/friend/parent are not acceptable. Letters should be signed and written on company or organization letterhead. Please ask for the reference to email the letter directly to Cathleen Martin at [email protected]
Terms of Scholarship:
- Scholarships are $1000 per full-time semester for four semesters per recipient (for a total of $4000).
- Scholarship may be used for tuition, fees, or books.
- Must meet with the Agricultural Sciences Department Chair at least once during the semester to check in on program progress and to plan for future courses.
- Students should maintain a 3.0 GPA