Applications now open for American Floral Endowment graduate scholarships

Applications are now open for the American Floral Endowment's Altman Family Scholarship and the Paul Ecke Jr. Scholarship.

These merit-based scholarships are for graduate students intending to become floricultural scientists and educators.

Applicants must be in the process of completing either a bachelor's or master's degree in horticulture or a related field (e.g., agricultural engineering, entomology, agricultural marketing and economics, plant pathology, etc.) and must have the intention of pursuing an M.S. or Ph.D. degree on a full-time basis.

Only one application is needed for both the Altman and Ecke scholarships. Those attending land-grant universities will automatically be considered for the Paul Ecke Jr. Scholarship.  All others will only be considered for the Altman Family Scholarship.

Applicants will need to submit a personal statement, three letters of recommendation, photo and video. Official transcripts can be emailed to afe@endowment.org (if necessary).

Applications are due by Feb. 1, 2025. To apply, visit endowment.org/resource/msphd-apply.

© American Floral Endowment

The Altman Family Scholarship was established by Ken and Deena Altman (owners of Altman Plants), who support numerous efforts to improve education and research for the industry.

They are highly appreciative of the horticulture field and established the Center for Applied Horticultural Research as an effort to help the industry.

These scholarships help to inspire and enable students to pursue their dreams of a career in horticulture, with an annual scholarship of $5,000.

“Being awarded a scholarship by the American Floral Endowment is such an honor. It adds so much value to my career just being affiliated with AFE,” said Manjot Sidhu, one of the 2024 recipients. “I am so proud of that.”

“This award allows me to experience milestones in research that I never have before,” said Savannah Mead, a 2023 Altman Family Scholar. “I could not be more grateful to AFE for seeing the potential in me and awarding the Altman Family scholarship to me so I can truly enrich my graduate research experience.”

© American Floral Endowment

The Paul Ecke Jr. Scholarship honors the late Paul Ecke Jr., who made significant contributions to the floriculture industry and believed strongly in research and education.

He was concerned about the future of floriculture and recognized that innovative researchers and educators are necessary for the continued success of the industry.

One student will receive $5,000 for two consecutive years ($10,000 total), provided that they continue to meet requirements for this duration and submit an annual update.

“Receiving this scholarship is a complete honor...This scholarship will help me make more connections in the industry and open doors for me that might have previously been unavailable to me,” said 2024 Paul Ecke Jr. recipient Jack Bobo.