scholarships Email
Written by ALCC   
Friday, November 05, 2021 12:00 AM

The ALCC scholarship program grants scholarships to students at Colorado State University (CSU) and Front Range Community College (FRCC) pursuing studies related to the landscape industry. Applications are available in November of each year and the deadline to apply is in January. For 2024 scholarships, applications are now available, and the deadline to apply is Jan. 15, 2024. The following items are required for the scholarship application:

  • A current transcript
  • 2 reference letters. We prefer one be from a professor or academic advisor to speak to the applicant's academic standing and accomplishments, and the other be from a current or previous employer or other person who can speak to the applicant's professional and personal accomplishments.

Once the application has been received, ALCC staff will contact you to schedule a brief interview with our scholarship committee. The interviews are typically done virtually. Once the scholarship interviews are complete, allow 1-2 weeks to be notified of the committee's decision on if you will receive a scholarship. Scholarship checks are made payable and mailed to the academic institution.

Scholarships are awarded in ALCC's name and in the name of several people or organizations:

JBK Landscape scholarship
JBK Landscape company supports the future of the industry and gives back to its community in many ways. One way is by endowing a scholarship for Colorado students studying landscape-related subjects. ALCC works with JBK to identify students seeking industry support for their education. 

Todd Williams Memorial Scholarship
Todd Williams was a past president of ALCC and Bob Cannon Lifetime Achievement Award recipient who we lost way too soon in 2013. He came to Colorado as a student at CSU and built a career in the Denver landscape industry, starting as a laborer and working his way up to become president of Terracare Associates. 
Todd Williams’ passing was a watershed moment for the green industry. Collectively, we lost a friend, a leader and a visionary. The industry as a whole was a better place with him in it. Among his many life passions, Todd believed in the future of the industry and worked hard to mentor the next generation – whether those folks were young professionals, college students or even kids still in high school. ALCC was able to memorialize his leadership and contributions via an endowed student scholarship. 
Tom Trench Memorial Scholarship 
Tom Trench, a past president of ALCC, was known for his positivity and his generosity. He mentored many young landscape professionals and championed them in the industry. Upon his passing in 2021, the many people whose lives he touched chose to remember him with a scholarship endowment. Read more about Tom Trench.

ALCC scholarships allow students to pursue their career goals with a little less financial worry. But the scholarships can also provide encouragement to the students and validate their ambitions.

In some cases, the very existence of the scholarship program can validate a program. The fact that a person or organization is willing to fund education in landscape-related disciplines demonstrates confidence in the industry and a need for educated, skilled individuals. When a school like FRCC or CSU seeks a grant to fund improvements to their landscape or horticulture program like a greenhouse or a classroom facility, the grant-making institution looks at community support when choosing the recipient of their funds. Having a trade association, related businesses and industry veterans offer scholarships to the program demonstrates that there is a community eager to help graduates of the program succeed and thrive.

Helping one student pay for a semester or two of classes can help them achieve career goals. But it can also influence the success of the school the scholarship recipient attends. That, in turn, helps the Landscape Career Pathways Program grow, reaching more young people and educating them about the industry and its opportunities.