Jonathan Baldwin Turner Scholarship Program: In Quest of Excellence
Scholarly excellence, good citizenship, and demonstrated leadership attributes represent precious commodities in contemporary society, especially when combined with the energy and initiative of youth. Today, the great complexity and rapidly changing character of world society underline the importance of developing sound leadership for the future. Particularly in the crucial areas of food production, marketing, nutrition, and related human services, the demand for new knowledge and expertise is very great.
To recognize and foster these desirable attributes among high school graduates, the University of Illinois College of ACES has established the Jonathan Baldwin Turner (JBT) Scholarship Program. Awarded solely on the basis of leadership, good citizenship, and scholarly achievement, these merit-based scholarships are open to outstanding individuals enrolling in the diversity of programs offered within the College of ACES. Approximately 55 JBT scholarships are awarded in each ACES freshman class.
The Jonathan Baldwin Turner Scholarships are awarded in the amount of four thousand dollars ($4,000) and include additional honors and recognition. A stipend of one thousand dollars ($1,000) is awarded for unrestricted use during the student’s freshman year in the University of Illinois College of ACES. The remaining $3,000 scholarship commitment will be awarded in three $1,000 increments during the student’s sophomore, junior, and senior years.
To retain the JBT Scholarship for the second, third, and fourth years, recipients must maintain enrollment in the College of ACES, and achieve a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.40 (A=4.0) for thirty (twenty-seven graded) credit hours of course work each academic year. A recipient who does not meet these continuing requirements during any one year would be eligible for a $1,000 scholarship increment in a subsequent year if the criteria for eligibility are reestablished.
The minimum academic criteria to be considered for the JBT Scholarship is for the prospective student to be ranked in the upper ten (10) percent of his/her high school class at the end of the junior year; or have a composite ACT (or equivalent SAT) score of at least a 27. Candidates meeting those criteria are eligible to participate in a JBT Scholarship interview. Such interviews are conducted in two different time periods each year:
- July – September at the start of the student’s high school senior year. Candidates interviewing at that time will not have yet been admitted to the College of ACES for the following fall, but the interview setting provides an excellent opportunity for the student and family to learn more about the College. Scholarship awards are made after these interviews pending the student’s subsequent admission to the College of ACES for the following fall.
- February and March of the student’s senior year. This is specifically for students admitted to the College of ACES for the following fall who did not interview in the earlier time period.
These merit-based scholarships are funded entirely by private donations to the Jonathan Baldwin Turner Scholarship Program. Current scholarship donors include College of ACES alumni, agribusinesses, banking institutions, commercial industries, professional associations, and private individuals. New donors are welcomed. Additional information on the JBT program to include application materials, and upcoming interviewing dates, is available by calling 217-244-4540.
The Heritage of Jonathan Baldwin Turner
Jonathan Baldwin Turner, a pioneer of agricultural education in Illinois and the United States, epitomized the spirit and intent of the scholarships bearing his name. A noted farmer and lecturer associated with Illinois College during the mid-1800s, Turner envisioned a nationwide system of educational institutions providing a “liberal and practical education” for citizens in the areas of agriculture and the mechanical arts.
Turner’s dedication and leadership were influential in the passage of the Morrill Act, signed by President Lincoln in 1862. This law established a framework for the land-grant system of agricultural institutions throughout the United States. A further outgrowth of Turner’s efforts was the Illinois Industrial University, later to become the internationally recognized University of Illinois.