Deadline for scholarships is February 1 each year.
The following scholarships are available on a competitive basis. Each year the University Scholarship Application is open from October 15 to February 1.
Freshman Scholarships
The Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology offers a number of freshman scholarships awarding up to $5000/yr. Applications are available via the Texas Common Scholarship Application on the Texas Common Application Website.
Continuing Undergraduate Student Scholarships
The Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology offers several scholarships for continuing students. Students must be enrolled full time during the semesters the scholarship is awarded. Scholarships awards vary depending on the availability of funds each year. Students must complete the University Scholarship Application between October 15 and February 1 each year.
Scholarships and Financial Aid
Texas A&M offers many financial aid options to help you pay for college costs. Visit the Scholarships and Financial Aid website to learn about applying for financial assistance.
Departmental Scholarships and Awards
A. D. Folweiler studied forestry at Penn State University, Yale, and the University of Wisconsin. Folweiler’s work before coming to Texas included the U.S. Forest Service and several state forestry organizations. As a faculty member at Louisiana State University, Dr. Folweiler wrote his widely used textbook, Forest Fire in the United States. After World War II he worked with International Paper and was active in the formation of the Louisiana Forestry Association.
Dr. Folweiler was named Director of the Texas Forest Service in 1949, holding the position until his retirement in 1967. Folweiler formed the first forest tree improvement program in the South. The Texas Forest Service achieved an outstanding record in forest fire prevention and control under his guidance. He also fostered what would become county and regional forest landowner associations in Texas. Folweiler was active in the Texas Forestry Association and served as president of the National Association of State Foresters. He was a Fellow in the Society of American Foresters.
Donor: A. D. Folweiler
Recipients: Full-time sophomore or higher (in hours) student seeking a degree in Forestry. Scholarship open to sophomore and above with an overall GPA of 2.0 or greater with at least 24 hours of course work completed at TAMU. The ideal candidate would show character and dedication to the forestry profession, high academic, achievement, and financial need. Applicants must not expect to graduate prior to the end of the academic year for which the scholarship is being awarded.
Award: $1,000
TreeNewal Certified Arborist provides residential and commercial arborilogical services, serving the Dallas & Fort Worth Metroplex and surrounding areas. We provide tree nutrition, soil conditioning and fertilization, pruning, tree removal, disease, fungal, and insect management.
Join our passionate and growing team that believes in the power of a healthy ecosystem with sustainable solutions for healthy trees, healthy lives. Learn, develop, and obtain hands-on experience nurturing trees and plants. To learn more about us, visit www.treenewal.com.
Donor: TreeNewal
Recipients: Full-time sophomore or junior with at least 50 credit hours (12 credit hours at TAMU) seeking a degree in Ecology and Conservation Biology. The scholarship is open to sophomores and juniors with an overall GPA of at least a 2.5. The recipient must have a genuine interest in an arboriculture career. The recipient must submit a one-page essay detailing their arboriculture career interest and possible interest in employment with TreeNewal. The recipient will be required to complete a paid internship with TreeNewal the summer prior to receiving the scholarship and may renew the scholarship at $1000 ($500 each semester) for the following year, and must also complete another paid internship the summer prior to receiving the scholarship renewal. The recipient must attend the Texas ISA Conference in the fall and work in the TreeNewal booth.
Award: $2,000; can renew for one year at $1000
George Gilford “Hoot” Gibson and Mary taught by example. They spent a career preserving the land and improving the world in which they lived. Mr. Gibson attended Texas A&M. He was Calvary Troop C, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Dairy Husbandry, and became the class agent for the class of 1929. He attended Iowa State for a Master of Science degree in Dairy Science. Mary Lucille Beard, a charming coed who worked in the Student Union, caught his eye and soon his heart. They married in 1934 and returned to Austin for Mr. Gibson to attend Law School at The University of Texas.
Mr. Gibson became a Dairy Specialist for the Texas Agricultural Extension Service and moved to Bryan. In 1949 Mr. Gibson was named Director of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service. He was named Man of the Year in Texas Agriculture in 1952 and later Director Emeritus of the Agricultural Extension Service.
He served with the Agency for International Development serving in Pakistan, Ceylon, India, and Washington D.C. When he retired they moved to the Mustang Prairie and in 1979 began planting pine seedlings and turned the entire acreage into a Tree Farm. They became members of the Texas Forestry Association in 1966 and Life Members in 1977. They help launch the Trinity County Forest Landowner Association in 1982.
Mr. Gibson died on July 28, 1999, at the age of 91. After Mr. Gibson’s death, Mrs. Gibson honored her husband and his years of service in the field of Forestry and Agriculture with this wonderful scholarship. Mary Gibson died on April 3, 2009.
Donor: Mary Gibson to establish the Mary and G.G. “Hoot” Gibson Scholarship matched by the College of Agriculture Development Council Scholarship Matching Program (COADC).
Recipient: Full-time undergraduate student worthy and deserving, pursuing a degree in forestry.
Award: Based on available funds
Laverne Addison served the students, faculty, and staff in the Department of Forest Science from 1978 to 2003. As an Academic Advisor, she guided hundreds of students through their education at Texas A&M University. Whether graduate or undergraduate, former students from around the world will remember fondly their years in Forest Science primarily due to Laverne’s nurturing and caring attitude. While often serving as the students’ surrogate mother. Laverne knew what it took to excel at Texas A&M and selflessly shared her wisdom with everyone. Her extraordinary efforts and commitment to student welfare led the Easley family to endow this scholarship I Laverne’s name.
Donor: Mr. and Mrs. John P. Easley and Patrick J. Easley ’03
Recipient: Full-time undergraduate student pursuing a major in forestry or renewable natural resources. First preference should be given to students receiving support through the Services for Students with Disabilities Office. The award is based on academic achievement, extra-curricular activities, and financial need.
Award: Based on available funds
When Tommy Slaughter passed away in June 2006, the people of Marshall, Texas, paid tribute to his multifaceted life. He was a dedicated, 38-year employee of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, a successful forester, and a decorated World War II veteran. Because of his generosity, students at Texas A&M University will benefit for many years to come. Established in March 2006, the Tommy B. and Lucille Jackson Slaughter Foundation No. 2 provides scholarships for students majoring in forest science.
Mr. Slaughter raised timber and was an excellent hands-on forester. He had no children of his own and wanted to help students study forestry.
Donor: Tommy B. & Lucille Jackson Slaughter
Recipient: Full-time undergraduate student with at least 28 hours of coursework taken or transferred to TAMU with a minimum of 3.0 GPR pursuing a degree in forestry. Must be enrolled in at least 14 hours in both long semesters with a 3.0 GPR or better. A student’s continued eligibility for a scholarship is conditioned upon the student’s (1) enrollment in and completion of not less than 14 hours of coursework during a regular semester: (2) maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or more; and (3) continued pursuit of a course of study under a degree plan leading to a degree in Forestry Sciences at Texas A&M University at College Station, Texas.
Award: Based on available funds
Bruce R. Miles graduated with a Bachelor of Forestry degree in 1958, through a cooperative scholarship program between Texas A & M University and Louisiana State University. After serving as an officer in the U.S. Field Artillery, he joined the Texas Forest Service in 1959 and rose through the ranks from assistant forester to the director of the agency in 1981. He served as the 6th State Forester of Texas until his retirement in 1996, whereupon he was bestowed the prestigious title of Director Emeritus by the Texas A & M System. Miles was a delegate of the United States to the IX World Forestry Congress in Mexico City in 1986 and is a member of the Mexico-Texas Exchange Commission. During his 37-year career, he was responsible for many innovative forest management programs including the enactment of an industry-funded tree planting program, the Texas Reforestation Foundation. He was responsible for the development of a statewide wildfire control program, and an effective pest/beetle control program.
Bruce’s awards include the Gifford Pinchot Medal in 1997 by the Society of American Foresters, the Distinguished Service to Forestry Award from the Texas Society of American Foresters in 1981, and the Distinguished Performance Award for Administration in 1982 from the Texas A&M System.
Donor: Mr. Bruce R. Miles
Recipient: Full-time undergraduate student in good academic standing. Open to all sophomore, junior, and senior students with a forestry major. Must have a GPA 2.0 or greater and completed at least 24 semester hours of coursework at Texas A&M University. Must not expect to graduate prior to the end of the academic year for which the scholarship is being awarded. The committee will consider the financial need, character, and dedication to the profession of forestry and academic achievement.
Award: $1000
William Goodrich Jones is considered the Father of Forestry in Texas. Jones, a banker in Temple, Texas, had a special love for trees. During his youth the family lived in Germany, where Jones visited with rangers and forestry workers in the Black Forest. Back in Texas, W. Goodrich Jones promoted the management techniques he had seen as a boy. In 1889 B.E. Fernow, chief of the U.S. Bureau of Forestry enlisted Jones to make a forest survey of the Pineywoods of Texas.
W. Goodrich lobbied lumbermen and the legislature to create what would become the Texas Forest Service in 1915. A major force was the Texas Forestry Association, spearheaded by Jones in 1914. He served as president of TFA until 1921. Jones also promoted a state Arbor Day designation.
Jones was born in New York in 1860. He earned a degree in business from Princeton and started in the banking business in Galveston before moving to Temple. W. Goodrich Jones died in 1950.
Jones founded the Texas Forestry Association to promote good forest management in the state. The Texas Forest Service was originally created by the Legislature as the Department of Forestry at the urging and direction of Mr. Jones and the Texas Forestry Association
Donor: Luther Goodrich and Doris Goodrich – Donated in 1955 to Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas
Recipient: Will be selected based on outstanding academic ability, integrity and character, professional promise, financial need, and scholarship. Recipient must be a full-time senior (in hours), legal resident of Texas, and be enrolled full time and in good standing with the University.
Award: $1,000
The Texas Forestry Association has awarded scholarships to outstanding forestry students for decades. The scholarship fund is designed to help train professional foresters who are dedicated to the task of perpetuating, extending, and improving the timber supply and economy of Texas. Beginning in 1984, the award was recognized as the Texas Forestry Association – W. Goodrich Jones Scholarship, in honor of their founder.
Donor: Texas Forestry Association
Recipient: Full-time outstanding junior or senior (in hours) enrolled in good standing with at least 24 hours of course work completed at TAMU. The ideal candidate would show character and dedication to the forestry profession, high academic achievement, and financial need. Requires two letters of recommendation are required (due by March 15).
Award: $1,000
The scholarship was established in 1986 by Southland Paper Mills, Inc. Southland Paper was the first mill established near Lufkin, Texas in 1939 to produce “white paper” and newsprint from southern pines. By 1919 they were the leaders in producing “white paper” and second in producing newsprint. This scholarship is offered to recruit and retain outstanding students in Forestry.
Donor: Southland Paper Mills, Inc.
Recipient: Full-time freshman forestry major with Texas as state residency. East Texas students preferred.
Award: $1,000
The Bartlett Tree Foundation offers scholarships to eligible students of arboriculture, forestry, urban forestry, horticulture, plant pathology, botany, and related disciplines.
Recipient: Full-time undergraduate student actively enrolled in a course of study that leads to a degree in arboriculture, urban forestry, horticulture, plant pathology, botany, or other closely related disciplines. Students must maintain at least a 2.0 GPR. Good character, noted recognition, and financial need are also determining factors for student eligibility.
Award: $2,000
Ron Hufford has served as the Executive Director for the Texas Forestry Association (TFA) since 1984. He established the Texas Forest Landowners Council and the Texas Logging Council, which unified the efforts of their members and contributed to TFA’s legislative accomplishments.
Under Hufford’s leadership, TFA Played an important role in the establishment of educational programs like Project Learning Tree and the Teacher Conservation Institute. He served as chairman for the Texas Society of American Foresters in 2003 and the Texas Agriculture Council from 2006 – 2011.
Hufford graduated from Southern Illinois University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Forestry. He is an Eagle Scout, and he served in the United States Air Force. Hufford is an active member of First Christian Church and the Lufkin Rotary Club. He is married to Shelly Hufford; they have two children and one grandchild.
Information courtesy of the Texas Forestry Hall of Fame.
Recipient: Full-time junior or senior students in the fields of forestry, agriculture, or other natural resources with a preference for proven leadership, volunteerism, and communications experiences. Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and 45 hours of coursework taken in-residence and be enrolled full time during the award period. Students will also be considered based on demonstrated character and his or her commitment to graduate with a degree. Recipients must be involved in extracurricular activities. Financial need should be a consideration when selecting equally meritorious candidates.
Award: $1,000
Recipient: Full-time undergraduate student with interest in pursuing a career in arboriculture, reflected in coursework, internship and work experience. Desire to work in the DFW area.
Award: $1,000
The International Society of Arboriculture is a professional organization dedicated to continuing education for arborists, to tree care research, and to serving tree care consumers around the world. The Texas Chapter of the ISA shares this same dedication, with a further commitment to serving the needs particular to Texas’ professional arborists and tree care consumers.
Recipient: Full-time undergraduate student majoring in urban forestry or care management of tree population in urban settings for the purpose of improving the urban environment.
Award: Based on available funding
Born in Brasov, Romania, July 7, 1967, to Elena and Victor Stanescu, Oana displayed an early love for nature and the outdoors, which later developed into a passion for trees and dendrology. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Forestry from Transylvania University of Brasov in 1991 and her Master’s from Virginia Tech in 2001. After moving with her family to College Station in 2003, she took an assistant lecturer position with the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management. Through this position, she was able to impart her love of dendrology to her students, who voted her the departmental Undergraduate Professor of the Year in 2010.
Recipient: Full-time undergraduate student enrolled in the Trees of North America (Dendrology) course or a course with similar content, in the event the course name changes. Recipients should demonstrate interest, excellence, and dedication to dendrology and forest trees and have taken courses related thereto, achieve academically in the discipline, and/or engage in related extracurricular activities. The student must be in good academic standing.
Award: Based on available funding
Recipient: Full-time undergraduate student in good academic standing, pursuing an undergraduate degree in forestry.
Award: Based on available funding
Recipient: Full-time freshman student in good academic standing majoring in wildlife, fisheries, or pursuing a related degree. Preference for selection is given to students in the Corps of Cadets.
Award: $1,000
Recipient: Full-time freshman with a strong academic record and in good standing with the University. Recipients should be a resident in Harris County and have a financial need.
Award: $1,000
The intent of this award to assist and reward those students who may not qualify for other funds whose major criteria is grade point ratio, class rank, etc., but rather a student who stands on middle ground, who has shown his determination to finish his studies, who is willing to work harder and longer to get there.
Recipient: Full-time deserving junior or senior who has shown a determination to complete their degree, showing drive and determination and a good work ethic. A student with an emphasis in fisheries is preferred. A cover letter, outlining the candidate’s reason for applying, which describes how the funds will help further their education is required. Two letters of recommendation from individuals associated with Texas A&M University are preferred (due by March 15). Preferred students are those having difficulty meeting educational expenses.
Award: $1,000
Recipient: Full-time undergraduate or graduate student must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States, studying wildlife ecology and conservation with a minimum GPR of 3.0.
Award: $1,000
Recipient: Full-time undergraduate student and resident of Texas. Recipients must be involved in professional societies and engaged in natural resource-related activities. Have an attitude that exemplifies Donne Harmel: one of hard work, honesty, and willingness to be a good steward of natural resources.
Award: $1,000
Recipient: Full-time undergraduate or graduate student in good academic standing and pursuing a degree in wildlife, fisheries, or a related ecology and conservation biology degree.
Award: $1,000
Recipient: Full-time sophomore in good standing and pursuing a degree in wildlife ecology and/or conservation. Recipients must be Texas residents with a minimum GPR of 2.8 at the beginning of their sophomore year.
Award: $1,000, renewable for up to four years.
Recipient: Full-time undergraduate in good academic standing, pursuing a degree in wildlife, fisheries, ecology, or conservation biology. Preference goes to students pursuing aquatic ecology and conservation. Recipients must be involved in extracurricular activities and have financial need.
Award: $2,000
External Funding Sources
Disclaimer: The listing of outside scholarships on this page is for informational purposes only. Inclusion in the listing does not constitute an endorsement by Ecology and Conservation Biology or Texas A&M University. Neither ECCB nor Texas A&M University can guarantee the accuracy or the timeliness of information found at any of the links in the listing.