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Applications are now open for the Irrigation Association‘s 2026 Anthony W. “Tony” LaFetra Scholarship Program, which offers $1,000-$3,000 in financial assistance to students enrolled in two- and four-year institutions studying irrigation-related disciplines.
The program will provide meaningful financial support for the education of worthy scholarship candidates. The IA scholarship will be awarded based on the student’s letter of intent, financial need, reference letters, resume and a list of irrigation-related courses taken or enrolled in. Students can only be a scholarship recipient once.
Students may submit applications through April 17, 2026. Full program details and eligibility requirements are available on the IA’s website.
To apply, students must create a SmarterSelect account and complete the entire application form. The form includes providing the student’s:
- Resume
- List of irrigation-related courses taken
- Contact details for two references, including name, title, email and organization:
- One reference must be an academic instructor
- The second must be a non-instructor reference
Once the application is submitted, the student’s references will receive an email from SmarterSelect prompting them to upload a letter of recommendation on their behalf. All reference letters must be submitted by April 17.
Winners will be notified by May 1, 2026.
Rain Bird Corporation will be the exclusive sponsor of the 2022-2026 workforce development scholarship program. To honor Rain Bird’s late president and CEO, through 2026 the program has been renamed the Anthony W. “Tony” LaFetra Scholarship Program Sponsored by Rain Bird. In addition, the two top scholarship winners will be designated as Anthony W. “Tony” LaFetra scholars.
