The Royal Agricultural Society Foundation (RASF) Rural Scholarship Awards celebration was held recently at the Sydney Showgrounds. A total of 52 scholarships were awarded to tertiary students who demonstrate a passion for rural issues and determination to make a positive difference in rural and regional NSW. The RASF has been committed to building strong, vibrant rural and regional communities for more than eight years by providing grants and scholarships for education and community development. In that time it has provided an impressive sum of almost $1.6 million worth of grants to rural communities in NSW.
For the past two years, Australian Country has partnered with the Foundation contributing magazines and diaries to the RAS official show bag, the Ag Bag. Sold during the Sydney Royal Easter Show, all funds raised from the Ag Bag support the Rural Scholarship program. The scholarships take place annually and offer $5000 for full-time study and $2500 for part-time study as a way of encouraging growth within the community.