CABEF Scholarships

CABEF awards seven $2,500 scholarships annually to full-time students enrolling or currently in an agricultural related program at a Canadian university, college or apprenticeship institution. These scholarships are funded through generous donations from agri-business and people involved in the agricultural and food industry.

Students from across Canada are invited to apply. One scholarship will be awarded as follows:

• 2 scholarships awarded in Western Canada (BC, AB, Territories and Yukon)
• 2 scholarships awarded in Central Canada (SK, MB and Nunavut)
• 3 scholarships awarded in Eastern Canada (ON, QC and Atlantic)

Applicants will be assessed on a combination of their leadership attributes, and written or video response to the question:

In your eyes, what is a top emerging issue impacting Canadian agriculture today? What skills do think you will need to develop to help address this issue in your future career?”

How to Apply

Click the ‘Apply Now’ button below to access the online scholarship application form. (Note: the application form cannot be saved. Students have a one-time access to the application form. It’s suggested to type your essay and list of leadership activities in a Word document and then cut and paste into the application form).

Within the online application, essays can be either in written format or video. Written essays must be between 750 – 1000 words. Videos must be a minimum of 2 minutes to a maximum of 5 minutes in length and provide a YouTube link to the video within the application form.

See below to view video requirements as well as judging rubrics for the essay and leadership activities.

Entries must be received by CABEF on or before 5:00 PM ET on April 30th, 2026.

Winners will be selected and notified no later than May 31st, 2026. Winners must provide proof of enrolment from their post-secondary institution by September 30. The students will receive their scholarship money within 30 days of receiving proof of enrolment. Proof of enrolment is to be sent by email to: info@cabef.org. The judges’ decision is final.

Eligibility Criteria

1. Canadian students who will be entering their 1st year or currently in their 2nd or 3rd year pursuing an agricultural or ag-related program at a recognized Canadian college, university or trade school are eligible to apply. Current 4th year (or last year of their program) or post-graduate students are not eligible to apply.

2. Full time students only.

3. Past CABEF scholarship winners and family of CABEF board members not eligible to apply.

4. Students must be at least 16 years of age to apply.

AI-Use Statement & Authenticity Requirement

CABEF values original thinking, lived experience and personal reflection. To ensure fairness for all applicants:

Applicants must submit original work. Essays and videos must be created by the applicant and may not be generated by artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

Light assistance for grammar, spelling and basic editing is acceptable. Using AI tools to generate ideas, sentences, paragraphs or full drafts is not permitted.

CABEF reserves the right to screen submissions using AI-detection methods. If an essay is determined to contain more than 40% AI-generated content, the application will be disqualified.

By submitting an application, you acknowledge and agree to this requirement.

What’s allowed:

• Spellcheck
• Grammar correction
• Formatting tools (Word/Google Docs)
• Captioning tools for accessibility
• Research for facts (as long as not copy/pasted)

What’s not allowed:

• Using ChatGPT or similar tools to write any part of the essay
• Rephrasing or rewriting paragraphs using AI
• Generating video scripts using AI
• Using AI essay enhancers or essay builders

AI-detection tools are not perfect. CABEF may request a short follow-up interview or writing sample to confirm authorship if needed.