Michigan Youth Livestock Scholarship Fund Opens 2025 Request Cycle
LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Youth Livestock Scholarship Fund (MYLSF) has announced its 2025 scholarship cycle,offering a valuable possibility for graduating high school seniors and recent graduates in Michigan pursuing higher education. Applications are due May 1, 2025.
This prestigious programme provides financial assistance to deserving students who have demonstrated a commitment to the state’s agricultural community through participation in livestock exhibitions. The scholarships are funded through proceeds from the annual Michigan Livestock Expo Sale-Abration auction and generous charitable donations. An 11-member board of volunteers from Michigan’s agricultural community, including representatives from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Advancement (MDARD), governs the fund.
As its inception in 2000 at the Michigan State Fair, MYLSF has awarded a remarkable $840,255
in scholarships and educational awards. In 2024 alone, a total of $50,500 in scholarships
were awarded to 43 students. This year’s program promises even greater opportunities, with a select number of applicants invited to interview for larger scholarships, potentially reaching awards up to $5,000
, at the discretion of the MYLSF board, prior to the Sale-Abration event.
Two distinct scholarship categories are available: the general MYLSF scholarship and the statewide scholarship. Applicants for the general scholarship must have exhibited at the Michigan Livestock Expo or the Michigan Dairy Expo for at least three years prior to applying. The statewide scholarship requires a minimum of three years of youth exhibition participation at local, county, or statewide events.
The 2024 MYLSF scholarship winners highlight the program’s impact: Madalyn Laskowski of Bad Axe received a $5,000 scholarship; samuel Jones of Reading, $4,000; Olivia Black of Eagle and Maddux Locke of Albion each received $3,000; and several other students received awards ranging from $2,000 to $500. Chloe Steiner of Mecosta received a $1,000 statewide scholarship, and Chloe Lawrason of Beaverton and Katlyn cunningham of Corunna each received $500 statewide scholarships.
Applications and qualification requirements for the MYLSF and the statewide scholarship are available online. Applications must be submitted electronically no later than 11:59 p.m. on May 1, 2025.
For inquiries, contact Jeff Haarer, MDARD’s Commodity Section Manager, at 517-896-2236 or [email protected], or Sheila Burkhardt, Michigan Milk Producers Association, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, at 248-474-6672 or [email protected].
the MYLSF scholarship program represents an critically important investment in the future of Michigan’s agricultural community, providing vital financial support to promising young leaders. the deadline of May 1, 2025, is fast approaching, so interested students are encouraged to apply promptly.