The Scholarship Connection: How CDE and LDE Participation Strengthens College Applications and Award Competitiveness
How Contests Build Skills That Outlast the Competition
Competing in a CDE or LDE costs time, and members reasonably ask what it earns them. One answer is scholarships. The National FFA Scholarship Program has published what it considers when selecting recipients, and who has applied. That information is not a guarantee, but it clarifies how a contest record fits into a larger application. This article reports what FFA has published and draws careful conclusions.
An important caveat up front: FFA’s descriptions of its scholarship selection do not single out contest participation. They list broader categories that contests can feed into. The connection is real but indirect, which is why this site treats it as a way of building evidence rather than a ticket.
- Key takeaway: scholarship committees look at the whole record, so contests matter when they produce leadership evidence.
- Data vintage: the figures below come from FFA articles published in 2017 and 2019; check FFA.org for current numbers.
What FFA Says It Considers
FFA’s 2019 article 7 Reasons to Apply for an FFA Scholarship Now says the selection process considers FFA involvement, work experience, supervised agricultural experience, community service, leadership skills and academics, and that one form automatically puts you in consideration for multiple scholarships. A 2017 announcement, National FFA Awards More Than $2.7 Million in Scholarships, describes the same criteria and says the process takes into account the whole student.
The Numbers FFA Has Published
- Program size (2019): more than 120 different scholarships and more than $2.7 million available.
- 2018 awards: $2,585,396 to 1,842 individual recipients.
- Applicants (2018): more than 8,800 high school seniors and college students from 44 states, representing 468 colleges, universities and vocational/technical schools.
- Applicant profile (2018): an average GPA of 3.78 and an average class rank of 23 out of 261.
- 2017 awards: more than $2.7 million to 1,883 recipients from 115 sponsors, with about one in four applicants awarded; the average recipient had a 3.76 GPA and ranked in the top 16 percent of the class.
- History: the program began in 1984 with 16 scholarships and, by the 2017 announcement, had awarded more than $47 million.
The same 2019 article notes that a perfect 4.0 is not required to apply, though the typical applicant’s grades were strong.
Where Contests Fit
Because the selection criteria include FFA involvement and leadership, CDE and LDE participation can supply evidence in both categories. It also feeds the other categories indirectly: a team event can show leadership, a communication event can show skills and preparation can show academic habits. The American FFA Degree, which FFA calls the highest degree in the organization, has its own requirements, including operating an outstanding SAE, community service and leadership abilities, as described on the American FFA Degree page.
Application Tips From FFA
FFA New Horizons’ Six Tips for Winning Scholarships offers general advice that applies here:
- Start with FFA, since many sectors have related scholarships.
- Complete the FAFSA, because many scholarships require it.
- Use counselors and financial aid offices for leads.
- Consider scholarships that require more effort, such as essays or videos; the article argues a tougher application may mean a smaller applicant pool and bigger awards.
- Apply for smaller awards too, which often have fewer requirements.
- Use free scholarship search engines for more leads.
Turning Contest Experience Into Application Material
- Name the event, level and year, not just “competed.”
- Describe your role on the team and what you did to prepare.
- Link contests to goals. If you competed in a field you plan to study, say so.
- Collect references early. Ask advisors and coaches who saw your preparation.
More Detail From FFA’s Published Numbers
- Fields of study. FFA’s 2019 article lists the top five fields recipients study: agribusiness systems; animal systems; power, structural and technical systems; plant systems; and biotechnology systems.
- Who funds the awards. The money comes from corporate, nonprofit and individual donations and endowments, with AGCO, Ford, John Deere and RAM Trucks named among the supporters.
- Where applicants study. The top five schools represented in 2018 were Texas A&M University, Iowa State University, Kansas State University, Oklahoma State University and Purdue University.
- How to apply. The application moved to a new online platform in 2019 that lets applicants save progress and upload required materials directly.
What the American FFA Degree Requires
The American FFA Degree page lists qualifications such as receiving a State FFA Degree, holding active membership for the past three years, completing secondary instruction in an agricultural education program and operating an outstanding SAE program. Community service, leadership abilities and outstanding scholastic achievement are also required. Applications go to National FFA after the state association approves them, and the National FFA Board of Directors approves qualified candidates at the convention. The page’s summary does not mention contest results, so treat contests as supporting evidence of leadership rather than as a checkbox, and read the full requirements on FFA.org.
Honest Limits
Scholarship competition is stiff, and the published numbers show that most applicants do not receive awards: about one in four were funded in 2017. No published source ranks contests against other activities, and policies, deadlines and award amounts change each cycle. Always read the current application and eligibility requirements on FFA.org before relying on any figure here.
Several past presidents on this site went on to long public careers, including Gus R. Douglass Jr., Bill Gunter and Jan Eberly.