In 1996, Balloon Association of Greater Illinois established a scholarship as part of the Landowner Relations Program within the club.  Members wanted to thank the farming community for allowing balloons to launch from or land on their property and to encourage and support young people who have chosen agriculture as their vocation.  The program has been a good partnership between the farming community and balloonist.  Past recipients' areas of interest include veterinary medicine, agronomy, agribusiness, and agricultural engineering.

Eligibility requirements for the scholarships are as follows:

1. Must be an Illinois Farm Bureau member
2. Must be a U.S. citizen
3. Must be a high school graduate
4. Must be accepted by or enrolled in an accredited community college, college or university
5. Must be enrolled in agriculture, agribusiness or ag-related field
6. Must exhibit potential for successful completion of course of study
7. Must reside on a farm in one of the counties in our "fly-zones."  These counties are:  Adams, Champaign, DeWitt, Douglas, Ford, Iroquois, Logan, Macon, Marion, Mason, McDonough, McLean, Menard, Moultrie, Peoria, Piatt, Sangamon, Tazewell, and Vermilion.

You can download applications here:

• Download Application in Adobe Acrobat (PDF format)
• Download Application in Microsoft Word (DOC Format)

Any questions, you can contact BAGI's Scholarship Coordinator Larry Owen at (217) 304-0827 or larry@owenfinancial.com