As a high school freshman, Grady Fox had his sights set on a unique supervised agricultural experience (SAE) — breeding, raising, cleaning and selling tilapia. But to make it happen, he needed financial assistance.
That’s where the National FFA Organization’s SAE Grant program came in.
“My advisor encouraged me to apply for an SAE Grant, and I ended up receiving $1,000,”says Fox, an alumnus and former vice president of the Frankfort FFA in Frankfort, Kan., who now attends Kansas State University. “This allowed me to purchase everything I needed to get started, including tilapia and their food, plus a filter and lights for the tank my school provided. Thanks to the grant, I didn’t have to settle for another project that didn’t fully align with my interests and goals.”
Open to FFA members in grades seven through 12 who demonstrate financial need, the SAE Grant program makes it possible for hundreds of students to start or grow their SAE projects each year with individual grants of $1,000.
To qualify for a grant, members must complete an application and identify at least one Agriculture Food and Natural Resources (AFNR) Pathway that their project fits into.
A Simple Application
“The application process was simple and absolutely worth the short amount of time it took,” Fox says. “Many of my fellow chapter members also received SAE Grants, and they all agreed — applying is a no-brainer if you need financial support.”
Online applications open in October and close Nov. 15, and grant recipients are announced in mid-December after the SAE Grant committee reviews eligible applications. Recipients are required to submit a report by June 30 detailing how they have used their grant funds.
“If I didn’t receive an SAE Grant, I would not have been able to afford to pursue this project,” says Fox, who won a state proficiency award for his SAE in the specialty animal production — entrepreneurship division at the Kansas FFA Convention in 2022.“I’m so glad there were resources available to me because my SAE was a great learning experience; it taught me about responsibility and made me more financially literate, both of which continue to benefit me today.”
Learn more about the SAE Grants available and submit your online application at FFA.org/SAEGrants.
