The Kent County Master Gardeners will be awarding $1,000 scholarships for the 2022-23 academic year to students who have been Kent County residents for at least two years and who are enrolled in or have been accepted by an accredited college or university to study plant and soil science or a horticulture-related field.

Home-schooled students are also eligible.

The Master Gardeners raise money for scholarships at their annual plant sale, held the last Saturday in April at the Delaware State University greenhouse.

To be eligible, a student must have a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale and include a short essay of his or her education and career goals and an official transcript from his or her current school. Two letters of recommendations from nonrelatives must also be sent. Also, one academic reference is preferred.

The applications will be judged on the GPA, the appropriateness of the field of study, letters of recommendation, leadership activities and community involvement.

Applications have been sent to area high schools, private schools, charter schools and colleges/universities, as well as the Future Farmers of America, the Delaware Farm Credit Bureau and MidAtlantic Farm Credit.

They can also be found here.