Texas Rodeo Launches Rural Scholarship for 4-H Students

Students from small Texas towns just got a powerful boost toward their college dreams, thanks to a new scholarship program designed specifically for rural communities.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo partnered with the Hildebrand Foundation to create the Hildebrand Rural Scholars Program, launching in 2026. The program targets outstanding 4-H and FFA members from rural Texas who qualify for Federal Pell Grants.

"These scholars represent the strength, resilience and promise of rural Texas," said Chris Boleman, CEO of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The initiative addresses a real gap: urban areas receive disproportionate scholarship funding compared to small communities.

Jeff Hildebrand from the Hildebrand Foundation put it simply: "Talent and potential are everywhere in small communities spread across Texas." Unfortunately, opportunity doesn't always reach those towns.

The program offers three scholarship levels. Four-year scholarships provide $20,000 for university students, vocational scholarships award $6,000 for trades and technical training, and achievement scholarships give current Rodeo Scholars up to $16,000 across multiple semesters.

Applications for four-year and vocational scholarships open April 1 and close May 1. Winners will be announced in late June, with formal recognition happening at the Scholars Picnic on July 11 at NRG Center.

The program stands separate from existing Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo scholarships, though students can't receive both simultaneously. Achievement scholarship applications follow a later timeline, opening May 15.

The Ripple Effect

This partnership does more than fund individual educations. It invests in the future of Texas agriculture by supporting the next generation of leaders who understand rural life firsthand.

Since 1932, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has committed over $660 million to Texas youth and education. This new program expands that legacy into communities that need it most, ensuring rural students have the same shot at success as their urban peers.

Young Texans rooted in agriculture now have another path forward, and that benefits everyone who depends on the state's agricultural heritage.

##