Oklahoma State Fair Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Oklahoma State Fair, Inc

Introduction
Founded in 2002, the Oklahoma State Fair Scholarship Program has awarded more than $420,000 to qualified Oklahoma youth through a set of annual scholarships. In 2015 the program increased each of the ten awards to $2,500.

Program purpose
The scholarship exists to:
- Encourage students to pursue further education.
- Acknowledge students’ overall accomplishments.
- Demonstrate Oklahoma State Fair, Inc.’s commitment to supporting education for Oklahoma’s young people.
- Help defray the cost of postsecondary education by providing ten (10) awards of $2,500 each.

Application and guidelines
The complete 2026 scholarship guidelines — including eligibility, important dates, and required materials — are posted below. The 2026 Oklahoma State Fair Scholarship application opens February 9 and closes March 9. The application link is available online.

Eligibility
To be considered for an Oklahoma State Fair, Inc. scholarship applicants must:
- Be a current-year graduate of an accredited Oklahoma high school or an Oklahoma homeschool.
- Have verifiable involvement with the Oklahoma State Fair beyond normal attendance (examples: livestock, equine, creative arts competitions, etc.).
- Be a legal resident of Oklahoma.
- Be a United States citizen.

Important dates / timeline
- Application period: opens February 9 and closes March 9. Late applications will not be accepted.
- Applicants will be notified by email on or before March 23 about whether they are invited to the interview phase. The email will include a link to schedule the interview.
- If invited, applicants must select an interview time by March 30; no exceptions.
- Interviews will be held April 6–9 at the OKC Fair Park Administration Building (virtual interviews may be arranged if necessary).
- Award notifications will be mailed on or before May 8.
- Winners must submit proof of enrollment by email by August 1.
- Scholarships will be presented at the 2026 Oklahoma State Fair on September 26.

Selection process
- A scholarship committee will review all applications and choose finalists.
- Finalists are required to attend a personal interview (or virtual interview if needed) at OKC Fair Park. Interview scheduling is done via email on a first-come, first-served basis. Applicants who do not schedule by the scheduling deadline will be removed from consideration.
- Students interviewed will have a photograph taken for promotional use; a photo/information release may be required.
- Applicants not selected for interviews will be notified by email.
- Finalists will be informed of award decisions via mail.

Award criteria and terms
- Twenty (20) candidates will be invited to interview. From those finalists, ten (10) recipients will each receive a one-time scholarship of $2,500. Selection is based on overall academic performance, leadership, community involvement, and documented participation in competitive programs at the Oklahoma State Fair (for example: livestock, equine, creative arts competitions).
- The ten (10) finalists who are not selected for the $2,500 awards will each receive a $500 stipend in recognition of their achievements.
- At the time the awards are distributed, recipients must be current-year graduates of an accredited Oklahoma high school or homeschool.
- Prior to receiving funds, awardees must provide proof of full-time enrollment (defined as at least 12 credit hours per semester) at an accredited college, university, vocational, or technical institution.

Questions
For additional information or to access the application, visit the Oklahoma State Fair website.