AgStar Fund Increases Tuition Assistance for
Young, Beginning and Small Farmers Program
$25,000 available from August 1, 2009 –July 31, 2010
MANKATO, Minn. (September 1, 2009) – AgStar Financial Services’ Fund for Rural America, a corporate-giving program, is pleased to announce they have increased tuition assistance for their GroundBreakers program serving young, beginning and small farmers. Individuals enrolled in a Farm Business Management program may be eligible to receive up to $1,000 in tuition assistance. This year, the AgStar Fund increased funding for the tuition program to assist more students, growing the total award amount to $25,000.
This tuition assistance program (TAP) is designed for individuals enrolled in farm business management courses through the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) and the Wisconsin Technical College System. “The courses are valuable in helping young and beginning farmers learn to maintain and interpret business records, establish business and personal goals, and apply economic principles to management decisions,” stated Lowell Schafer, Vice Chair of AgStar’s Board of Directors. “AgStar is pleased to offer educational opportunities to our GroundBreaker clients - ensuring a bright future for agriculture for years to come.”
The TAP program is available to farmers, spouses, or partners (actively involved in a farm operation) 35 years of age or younger, who have been farming for 10 years or less. Applicants must be enrolled in a certified farm business management program and a resident of AgStar’s 69-county service area.
About AgStar’s GroundBreakers Program:
The GroundBreakers program serves over 7,000 clients that are young, beginning or small farmers. This program provides ongoing access to credit, related services and outreach programs to qualified individuals. For more information on AgStar’s Groundbreakers program see AgStar.com.
About AgStar:
AgStar Financial Services, ACA, headquartered in Mankato, Minn., employs more than 610 full-time team members. The company is part of the national Farm Credit System and has a public mission to serve 69 counties in Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin. The company has expertise in the corn, soybean, swine, dairy and bio-energy industries. AgStar has developed successful programs in loans, leases, crop insurance, tax services, accounting, consulting and rural home mortgages. As a value-added financial services cooperative, AgStar allocates patronage dividends to its 13,000 stockholders. Visit AgStar.com for more information.
Contact: Liz Tusa
507-345-5622
(Back to Press Releases)