SUN PRAIRIE, Wis., Dec. 4, 2025 – 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.
About the Fund for Rural America
The Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America is the corporate giving program of Compeer Financial, structured to support Compeer Financial’s mission to enrich agriculture and rural America. Compeer Financial’s Board of Directors has dedicated one percent of annual net earnings to support the Fund’s focus areas of agriculture education, youth engagement, rural development and community enrichment, agricultural advocacy and development, and cooperative initiatives. The Fund is managed by a Board of Trustees, made up of team members and members of the Compeer Financial Board of Directors. Learn more about opportunities available through the Fund.
About Compeer Financial
Compeer Financial is a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative serving and supporting agriculture and rural communities. The $35.5 billion organization provides loans, leases, risk management and other financial services throughout 144 counties in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Based in the Upper Midwest, Compeer Financial exists to champion the hopes and dreams of rural America, while providing personalized service and expertise to clients and the agriculture industry.
Compeer Financial is the third largest cooperative of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of lending institutions supporting agriculture and rural communities with reliable, consistent credit and financial services. Learn more about Compeer Financial’s patronage program.
