Eligibility
TAF is designed to aid Native students in achieving their educational goals leading to careers in agriculture.
The Tribal Agriculture Fellowship (TAF) proudly supports a dedicated community of students strengthening food systems, natural resource management, and Tribal food sovereignty through education and innovation. To better respond to the growing need for skilled professionals in agriculture, trades, and environmental stewardship, TAF is prioritizing Career & Technical Education (CTE) students for the 2026 – 2027 TAF application process. We are focused on funding CTE students and apprenticeships in agriculture only. This change reflects our commitment to uplifting CTE students as essential leaders in advancing agriculture across Indian Country.
The Tribal Agriculture Fellowship (TAF) welcomes all applicants from Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawai’ian or eligible First Nations** students.
All scholarship applicants for the 2026-2027 school year must be pursuing their Technical or Certification degrees related to the agriculture industry. This includes but is not limited to: apprenticeships, journeyman, vet techs, diesel mechanics, drone pilots, food lab assistants, ranch hand management, butcher certification, nursery greenhouse technician, ag equipment operators, pesticide applicators, ag mechanic technicians, certifications in food safety, livestock manager, floral design, agricultural sales representatives, food and science technicians, food inspectors. Below are all of the requirements to apply to the TAF. We recommend you review this list before applying.
You must,
- Provide proof of federal or state Tribal enrollment or community connectedness,
- Maintain a 2.75 GPA or satisfactory program and apprenticeship hours,
- Create a Submittable account and begin the TAF application in that system, and
- Submit 2 letters of recommendation. We recommend submitting 1 letter from a Tribal community member and 1 letter from an academic advisor/faculty member.
Upon selection to the Tribal Agriculture Fellowship there are a number of requirements to maintain your fellowship status while pursuing your education. Feel free to review the list of requirements below.
You must,
- Maintain fulltime enrollment status throughout the fellowship.
- Sustain suitable academic progress.
- Participate in all one-on-one calls with the TAF Program Coordinator.
- Provide updates on your scholarly achievements and academic pursuits to the TAF Program Coordinator.
- Attend four quarterly mandatory meetings.
- Attend the annual Student Retreat, if able.
- Participate in all TAF required activities, and
- Serve as a peer mentor to upcoming Fellows.
Upon graduating, you then become inducted into our Alumni Tribal Agriculture Fellows and become an integral part of the future of TAF.
Additional Questions
If you have any additional questions, please reach out to April, our program coordinator. Her email is aprilp@taffellows.org or phone is 479-871-2135.
Supporters of TAF
In recognition of the need for more agriculture education opportunities geared explicitly toward Native students, the Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) and the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) established the Tribal Agriculture Fellowship (TAF) with additional support provided by Farmer Mac and the Farm Credit Council.
Join our growing list of supporters today!