It is the mission of the Michigan State Fair to promote and celebrate the positive achievements in Michigan Rural and Urban Agriculture, Business, and Industry. To fulfill that mission, we annually recognize and celebrate those youth participating in Rural and Urban Agriculture development by awarding $50,000 in scholarships. We are able to award these dollars because of our amazing partners Michigan Foundation for Agriculture, Michigan Farm Bureau, ITC, Guernsey Farms Dairy, C.F. Burger Creamery and Michigan State University Extension. 

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Continuing in 2025, the Michigan State Fair will continue to offer scholarships to exhibitors in the Michigan State Fair 4-H & Youth Virtual Showcase: an online partnership with Michigan State University Extension. This statewide showcase provides a virtual platform for youth across Michigan to exhibit their work in all project areas and apply for scholarships.  Any Michigan youth ages 5-19 is encouraged to participate in the virtual showcase.  Participants in the Michigan State Fair 4-H & Youth Virtual Showcase age 8-19 are eligible to apply for scholarships as outlined in the details at the bottom of this page. 

 

Who is eligible to compete for a Scholarship?

Youth may apply for one or more scholarships, dependent on the entries they submit.

Available Scholarships are: the Michigan State Fair 4-H & Youth Virtual Showcase. Face to Face Animal/Livestock Exhibitors, Home Arts and Agriculture Exhibitors, and Urban Farming Youth exhibitors.

​For the face to face Youth exhibitors, the ages and deadlines are slightly different. All youth in face to face exhibitions including Gold Ribbon youth winners can enter and apply to the 2025 Michigan State Fair Scholarships until August 10th, 2025. 

 

Home Arts and/or Agriculture Exhibitors in these areas will compete for Scholarships. Eligible to exhibitors eight (8) years of age and no older than twenty (20) years of age as of January 1 of the current year. . 

Animal exhibitors at the Michigan State Fair in the Beef, Dairy, Sheep, Goat, Swine, Rabbits, and Poultry, areas are eligible to compete for scholarship in each species.

Eligible to exhibitors eight (8) years of age and no older than twenty (20) years as of January 1. 

Exhibitors MAY apply for more than one Scholarship, but may only receive one Scholarship per exhibitor.

 

 

Open to Michigan youth only.