Usrey Family Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Horticulture Research Institute

Usrey Family Scholarship — overview
The Usrey Family Scholarship honors a multigenerational dedication to horticulture and leadership in the green industry. Created by the Usrey family, this fund supports students preparing for careers in the green industry and seeks to foster ongoing involvement in the profession. The scholarship continues the family’s history of promoting education, opportunity, and professional development as cornerstones of a resilient ornamental horticulture sector.

HRI Scholarship Program — summary
The HRI Scholarship Program is composed of several donor-established funds, each reflecting specific donor interests. To simplify the process, HRI uses a single common application that allows eligible students to be considered for multiple scholarships at once. Through this same application, HRI has partnered with the Sidney B. Meadows Scholarship Endowment Fund so qualifying applicants may be reviewed for that scholarship as well.

Areas supported by HRI donors
Industry donors invest in scholarships that advance education and careers in these areas:
- Nursery and greenhouse production
- Landscape businesses
- Garden retail businesses
- Ornamental plant breeding and propagation
- Horticulture-related business, sales, and supply chain roles
- Applied research or extension work that directly supports environmental/ornamental horticulture

Application window
Applications for the 2026 school year are accepted from March through May 31, 2026.

Who should apply — eligibility highlights
Although individual scholarship funds can include additional preferences or requirements, all HRI scholarships share these baseline eligibility criteria.

Eligible degree programs
Scholarships are intended for students enrolled in horticulture or closely related programs. Typical horticulture-focused majors include:
- Horticulture
- Horticultural Science
- Nursery or Greenhouse Management/Production
- Landscape Design, Construction, or Management
- Ornamental Horticulture
- Sustainable Horticulture

Programs closely related to horticulture may also be considered if applicants clearly demonstrate how their studies and career plans will be applied within the horticulture industry. Examples of such related fields include:
- Plant Science
- Plant Pathology
- Landscape Architecture
- Forestry
- Business or Marketing (when directly applied to horticulture businesses or industry roles)

If you are in a related program, you must explain how your coursework, practical experience, and career objectives connect directly to horticulture practice or the green industry.

Academic and enrollment requirements
- Minimum GPA: 2.25 (GPA is reviewed as part of the complete application and considered in context).
- Enrollment status: Must be a full-time student in good academic standing during the term when the scholarship is awarded.
- Eligible degree levels:
- Undergraduate: Associate or Bachelor’s degree candidates
- Graduate: Master’s or Doctoral degree candidates

Note: Some individual funds may prefer or prioritize certain degree levels. Applicants at the degree levels listed above are eligible unless a specific fund states otherwise.