The National Pork Board announces the opening of the application period of the 2018 Pork Industry Scholarships. This program is open to college juniors and seniors who have plans to pursue a career in swine production management or a related field. In addition, students who will be seeking to attend veterinary or graduate school with an emphasis on swine are encouraged to apply. The NPB will award up to 21 scholarships in 2018 totaling $48,000. The top applicant will receive $5,000, the second-ranked applicant will receive $3,500 and all others will receive $2,000.

“Developing human capital and identifying future leaders is critical to the continued success of the swine industry,” says Chris Hostetler, animal science director for the Pork Checkoff. “The National Pork Board’s Animal Science Committee understands this need and continues its commitment to recognize excellence and encourage students through awarding scholarships.”

The guidelines for the scholarship application and the online form can be found at Pork.org/Scholarship. The deadline for application submission is Feb. 16. Following review and selection, recipients will be notified in April.

“Students who meet the scholarship criteria are encouraged to submit an application for consideration.” Hostetler says. “This is an excellent opportunity to provide financial assistance to students seeking swine-oriented careers.”

About 80% of the previous recipients of the Pork Industry Scholarships have pursued advanced degrees as they prepared to serve the industry as veterinarians, nutritionists, reproductive biologists and management consultants.