Virgil L Strickler Youth Reserve Program Scholarships

In an effort to recognize the quality youth of Ohio, and to help those interested in furthering their education, the Ohio Expositions Commission has established a Scholarship Program for Ohio State Fair participants.

The purpose of these scholarships is to assist high school juniors and seniors and graduates who are continuing their education at an accredited institution in an undergraduate course of study in any field.

The Scholarship Committee reserves the right to not issue a scholarship if no applicant fulfills the requirements.

Eligibility

• The applicant must be a high school junior, senior or undergraduate student continuing their education at an accredited institution in an undergraduate course of study.
• Applicant must reside in the State of Ohio.
• Applicant must be eligible to be a participant in the Junior Fair (not older than 19 years of age as of January 1, 2026) and must have served as an active participant in both the Ohio State Fair Junior Division and their local county fair.
• Previous applicants and winners may apply if they meet the above criteria.

Submission Requirements

• The application must be completed using the online scholarship portal no later than April 1, 2026. An application submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
• An incomplete application (missing transcript, incomplete responses) will not be considered.
• Transcripts may be official or unofficial and must be submitted through the online scholarship application.
• Do not submit more than one application.

Judging Criteria

• Each application will be reviewed to ensure the applicant meet minimum requirements. The application will then be sent to scholarship committee members.
• The application will be scored by each committee member based on the application criteria below. The average of all scores will be used to determine the final scholarship recipients.
  • 20% Scholastic Standing
  • 20% Citizenship and Leadership
  • 25% Ohio State Fair Participation
  • 20% County Fair Participation
  • 15% Essay
• An applicant may be required to be interviewed at the discretion of the Scholarship Committee.