Donna & Michael Kelling Beekeeping Scholarship

The Central Texas Beekeepers Association (CTBA) is pleased to announce The Donna and Michael Kelling Beekeeping Scholarship for college students who aspire to be outstanding and extraordinary. We are looking for academically excellent students who are in pursuit of higher education and are currently or about to be enrolled in any Entomology, Animal Science, or other Agriculture related programs.

The Kelling Scholarship offers an award of $1,000 to cover educational-related costs, including tuition, books, computers, room and board, and other educational expenses.  Students may be awarded up to two, non-concurrent annual scholarships during their studies. Students applying for a second scholarship must submit an original essay.

We are looking for undergraduate students at any accredited college or university in Texas who will be enrolled in classes in 2027 and are eligible to apply for this scholarship.

Kindly see the guidelines below on how you or someone you know can apply for this scholarship grant.

Scholarship Details

  • Scholarship Name: The Donna and Michael Kelling Beekeeping Scholarship
  • Scholarship Value: $1,000
  • Deadline date: December 31st, 2026
  • Available scholarship slot/s: 2
  • Awardee(s) announcement: At the Annual Central Texas Beekeepers School (winners do not need to be present).

Application criteria:

  • Must be 17 years or older.
  • Must be a legal resident of the United States.
  • Must be currently enrolled in or accepted to a full-time undergraduate program in an accredited Texas college or university.  High School Seniors will be considered prior to being accepted into college but will be required to confirm acceptance prior to distribution of funds.
  • Must be a student/enrollee of any of the following: entomology, animal science, or other agriculture related studies.

    How to apply:

    For a chance to win the scholarship, write a 500-word essay on any of the following topics:

    • The Role of Bees in Ecosystems and Agriculture
    • Bee Behavior and Social Structure
    • Challenges Facing Bees
    • Pharmaceutical Prospects of Bee Products
    • Applicable Apiology Studies

    *Please take note that each essay will be submitted through AI-writing detection software. Any essays found to be AI-generated or partially AI-generated will be disqualified.  Essays will also be checked for plagiarism. Applicants must cite all source references.

    Essays will be judged blind (no names attached to the essay) by a five-member panel from the CTBA.  CTBA will take care of removing applicants’ names prior to submission to the review panel.  The results of selections will be final.  Applicants not selected may reapply the following year with a new essay.

    Essays must be submitted as an attached PDF file to centraltexasbeekeepers@gmail.com along with the following details:

    • Full Name
    • Address
    • Major
    • Phone number
    • School name
    • Date of birth

    Use the following subject line: The Donna and Michael Kelling Beekeeping Scholarship | (Your Name). Only one submission per person is allowed. You must be able to prove your eligibility based on the above criteria.

    How to apply:

    Send your essay responses using the guidelines outlined above. Following December 31st 2026, our team will select the best essay and notify the scholarship recipient(s) via email. The recipient(s) must respond within ten (10) business days, or another recipient(s) will be selected.  CTBA will make a public announcement of the recipient(s) at the Central Texas Annual Beekeepers School, typically held the first week of March.

    The scholarship awardee will be chosen based solely on the quality of their essay submission.  Academic transcripts may be requested, strictly for qualification verification purposes.

    By applying for this scholarship, you consent to allow the Central Texas Beekeepers Association and its representatives the right to take photographs and videos of you for any lawful purpose including publicity, advertising and web content.  You also consent to allow the Central Texas Beekeepers Association to publish any submitted material for similar purposes including but not limited to publication in the CTBA Bee School Book.