University of Idaho students who want to pursue a career in the dairy industry will be eligible for a new scholarship from the Chobani Foundation. It's the largest gift of it's kind to the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
Chobani already has made a big impact on the economy in the Magic Valley since opening their facility in 2012. Now, the foundaton is looking at ways to educate the next generation of dairy workers.
“Agriculture is becoming more complicated and the demand for educated workers is higher than our ability to meet it at this point,” says Bill Loftus with the U of I.
He says four students who begin classes in 2019 and four who begin in 2020 will receive $20,000 each year for a four-year degree. Loftus says tuition and fees at the school cost around $32,000 for four years. Chobani is creating the same scholarship at Cornell University in New York, a short drive away from its corporate headquarters.
The dairy industry in the region employs many refugees and migrant workers. He says by recruiting in the Magic Valley, they hope to:
“…[E]nsure that the children of those laborers have their opportunity to support the industry in the future.”
Loftus says the scholarships may go to first-generation college students.
Find reporter Frankie Barnhill on Twitter @FABarnhill
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