USA Scholarships
Katharine M Grosscup Horticulture 2027 - $3,500
The Katharine M. Grosscup Scholarships in Horticulture 2027 celebrate a Shaker Lakes Garden Club conservationist whose friends in the Garden Club of America wanted her love of plants to outlive her. Margaret Evans Berdan founded the fund in 1981, and today a joint committee from Shaker Lakes and the Garden Club of Cleveland screens applicants before GCA headquarters approves winners. You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident actively enrolled at a U.S. institution in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or West Virginia, majoring in horticulture or a related field such as landscape architecture, with about a 3.5 GPA. Awards reach $3,500 paid directly to you for education and research, and returning Grosscup scholars may request up to $1,000 in a second year. Submit electronically or by mail to GCA in New York by January 15, expect interviews in early February, and remember GCA permits only one scholarship or fellowship application per student each year.
What is the Katharine M. Grosscup Scholarship in Horticulture?
Margaret Evans Berdan started this fund in 1981 to remember her friend Katharine Grosscup, a Shaker Lakes gardener who treated native plants like neighbors rather than decorations. Four decades later, a Cleveland-area committee still reads every application by hand, calls finalists in for February conversations, and sends names to GCA headquarters for the final yes.
The money is modest compared with a full ride, yet $3,500 cash in your pocket beats a vague tuition discount when you are buying soil probes, field trip gas, or studio fees for landscape design courses. You need a horticulture or related major, a 3.5-ish GPA, and enrollment at a college in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or West Virginia. Citizens and permanent residents only, and only one GCA application per year, which means you must choose between Grosscup and fellowships like the GCA Tropical Botany Fellowship if both tempt you.
January 15 is the hard stop at 14 East 60th Street in New York, whether you upload or mail. Write the career essay like you mean it, because the committee says that narrative drives decisions as much as grades. If interviews go well, you could be back for up to $1,000 more the following year while you finish a thesis on everything from urban canopy cover to heirloom apples.
Eligibility
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✓Enrollment in IN, KY, MI, OH, PA, or WVYou must be currently and actively enrolled at a U.S. college or university located in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or West Virginia. Online programs tied to those states qualify if GCA can verify institutional location.
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✓Rising sophomore through master's candidateOpen to rising college sophomores, juniors, seniors, or master's degree candidates in the fall of the award year. First-year undergraduates who will still be freshmen in fall 2027 should wait for the next cycle.
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✓Horticulture or related majorMajor in horticulture or a closely related field such as landscape architecture, plant science, or environmental horticulture. Your transcript and essay should show coursework aligned with plant-focused careers.
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✓U.S. citizenship or permanent residencyGCA restricts tax-advantaged scholarships to U.S. citizens and permanent residents enrolled at U.S. institutions. International students on visas are not eligible.
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✓About 3.5 GPA or betterGCA expects roughly a 3.5 cumulative GPA. A slightly lower GPA rarely wins unless your essay and references show exceptional horticulture experience.
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✓Only one GCA award application per yearYou may apply for only one GCA scholarship, fellowship, or award during the annual cycle. Pick Grosscup or another GCA program, not both.
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✓Available for February interviewFinalists interview with the Grosscup committee in Cleveland in early February. Plan travel or virtual participation if you advance past the paper screen.
Benefits
- First-year grant Up to $3,500 direct to recipient
- Education and research support Flexible use per GCA rules
- Second-year funding Up to $1,000 if reapplying
- Tuition paid to college only Paid to you, not bursar
- Full cost of attendance Not covered
- Multiple GCA awards same year One GCA application only
- Master's-level grant Up to $3,500 direct to recipient
- Research and coursework Supports horticulture study
- Interview in Cleveland Required if selected as finalist
- Living stipend replacement Not a graduate assistantship
- Out-of-region colleges Outside six states ineligible
Document checklist
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✓GCA Grosscup application formComplete the electronic application linked from gcamerica.org/scholarships/details/grosscup-scholarship or follow mailed instructions to GCA Headquarters.
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✓Official or current transcriptShow major, class standing, and GPA toward the 3.5 expectation. Include fall grades in progress if the form allows.
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✓Career goals essayExplain why your horticulture path matters and how your proposed courses support it. The Cleveland committee treats this essay as a deciding factor.
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✓Two signed recommendation lettersOne letter should come from a professor or advisor in your major department. The second may come from a current or former employer who knows your work ethic.
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✓Resume or activity summaryList internships at nurseries, arboretums, garden centers, research labs, and volunteer hours with local garden clubs or conservation projects.
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✓Proof of enrollment at a qualifying institutionHave enrollment verification ready if reviewers question whether your campus sits in one of the six eligible states.
How to apply
Deadline and timeline
FAQ
What is the Katharine M. Grosscup Scholarship in Horticulture?
It is a Garden Club of America scholarship founded in 1981 in memory of Katharine MacConnell Grosscup, a gardener and conservationist from Ohio. The fund supports undergraduates and master's students studying horticulture at colleges in six Midwest and Appalachian states.
How much is the Grosscup horticulture scholarship worth?
GCA pays up to $3,500 directly to recipients for education and research. Scholars who reapply may receive up to $1,000 in a second year, subject to committee approval.
Which states qualify for the Grosscup scholarship?
You must attend a U.S. institution in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or West Virginia. Residency in those states alone does not qualify if your college sits elsewhere.
When is the Katharine M Grosscup scholarship deadline for 2027?
Applications must reach GCA Headquarters by January 15 preceding the academic year you describe. For fall 2027 enrollment, plan on January 15, 2027 unless gcamerica.org posts different instructions.
Who is eligible for the Grosscup horticulture scholarship?
U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are rising sophomores, juniors, seniors, or master's candidates with about a 3.5 GPA, majoring in horticulture or related fields at eligible institutions in the six-state region.
Can I apply for the Grosscup and Beattie GCA awards in the same year?
No. GCA allows only one scholarship, fellowship, or award application per student per year across its entire portfolio.
Does the Grosscup scholarship require an interview?
Finalists interview with the Grosscup committee in early February in Cleveland. Not every applicant receives an interview, but you should keep that week open if you advance.
How do I contact the Grosscup scholarship committee?
Email [email protected] and [email protected], or call GCA at (212) 753-8287. Mailed applications go to 14 East 60th Street, New York, NY 10022-1006.
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