The Irrigation Association scholarship program was established to develop and administer an awards program to promote the study of and careers in the irrigation field. The program will provide meaningful financial support for the education of worthy scholarship candidates. The IA scholarships (ranging from $1,000 to $3,000) will be awarded based on the student’s letter of intent, financial need, reference letters, resume and list of irrigation-related courses taken or enrolled in. Please note students can only be a scholarship recipient once.
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Rain Bird Corporation will be the exclusive sponsor of the 2022-2026 workforce development scholarship program. To honor Rain Bird’s late president and CEO, through 2026 the program has been renamed the Anthony W. “Tony” LaFetra Scholarship Program Sponsored by Rain Bird. In addition, the two top scholarship winners will be designated as Anthony W. “Tony” LaFetra scholars.
The scholarship program
- Provides meaningful financial support for the education of worthy scholarship candidates.
- Benefits the business community through a better-educated workforce.
- Exposes scholarship candidates to the ever-expanding irrigation industry.
- Strengthens the IA through a direct link to education programs.
2025 Scholarship Program Requirements
All candidates must:
- Be currently enrolled (undergraduate or graduate) at a U.S. technical or vocational school, community college, university or similar institution of higher learning with a graduation date of December 2025 or later.
- Be a U.S. citizen.
- Have taken or be currently enrolled in a class with irrigation-related curriculum.
- Have a minimum of 2.5 cumulative GPA, based on a 4.0 scale.
- Demonstrate financial need.
- Not have been selected as a scholarship recipient in a prior year.
Application Instructions and Deadlines
Applications will be accepted April 9, 2025, through May 9, 2025.
To apply, you must create a SmarterSelect account and complete the entire application form. The form includes providing:
- Your resume.
- A list of irrigation-related courses you have taken.
- Contact details for two references, including name, title, email and organization:
- One reference must be an academic instructor.
- The second must be a non-instructor reference.
Once your application is submitted, your references will receive an email from SmarterSelect prompting them to upload a letter of recommendation on your behalf.
All reference letters must be submitted by May 9, 2025.
Winners will be notified by June 15, 2025.