The scholarship program began in 2005 when the Aiken Master Gardeners endowed a scholarship at Clemson with a $25000 donation. However, because of a serious recession in 2008 no scholarship was awarded until 2015. It was specified that the scholarship be given to Aiken County University students studying agriculture at Clemson. As of May 2026, $11,500 has been distributed to 10 students. Scholarships have varied from $500 to $1000. Recently they have usually been $1000.

In 2013 the AMGA decided to establish a second “pay as you go” scholarship for senior high school students in Aiken and Edgefield County who intended to study horticulture or closely related agricultural courses at a university or College of their choice. As of May 2026, 30 scholarships have been awarded for a total of $27,500. Scholarship amounts have varied from $500 to $2000.

Both these AMGA scholarship programs are a major part of our effort to promote learning about agriculture in our local community. The PAY as YOU GO scholarship program is mainly supported by funds received from the PLANT SALE and the RMG programs.

The 2026 scholarship winners received certificates and awards of $1000. Several family members attended the monthly May 2026 meeting where the awards were presented. The winners were: