Need-Based ScholarshipsStrong odds

Big Tex Scholarship Program

Offered by State Fair of Texas · Free to apply

Award

$12,000

renewable in later years

Deadline

February 1, 2027

deadlines recur around February each year

Estimated odds

1 in 5

Solyo estimate, not a published rate

Application effort

~5 hrs

about $748 of expected value per hour

The State Fair of Texas awards around a hundred substantial scholarships a year through its Big Tex programme, and it is one of the very few Texas sponsors that publishes when its next cycle opens. Awards fall into distinct tracks: a large block reserved for graduating seniors at six named Dallas ISD high schools near Fair Park, another for students who competed in youth livestock events at the Fair, and smaller tracks for seasonal employees and a named memorial award. The Dallas ISD track is notable because it carries no agricultural requirement at all, though its geographic gate is the tightest in Texas, being specific high schools rather than a county.

How hard is the Big Tex Scholarship Program to win?

Narrow eligibility keeps the applicant pool small, so a qualified student has a genuinely realistic shot. These are the awards worth prioritising.

Estimated odds: roughly 1 in 5 applicants
Modelled applicant field: ~500 students
Awards each cycle: 103
Payoff per hour of work: $748 / hr

What drives the odds here

Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.

Fewer rivalsOpen only to Texas residents
Fewer rivalsAn essay is required, which filters out casual applicants
Fewer rivalsRecommendation letters are required, a step many applicants skip
Fewer rivalsAn official transcript is required
Fewer rivalsOpen to a single grade level only
More rivalsA five-figure award attracts a bigger field

How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.

Who can apply for the Big Tex Scholarship Program?

These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.

Must be a resident of Texas
Open to high school seniors

Confirm these before applying

The largest track is restricted to graduating seniors at six named Dallas ISD high schools near Fair Park: Roosevelt, Irma Lerma Rangel, Madison, Lincoln, North Dallas and Woodrow Wilson. That track requires no agricultural involvement.
A second equally large track is for Texas seniors who competed in youth livestock events held at the State Fair.

Good to know

Smaller tracks exist for State Fair seasonal employees or their dependents, and one named memorial award.

What the application takes

Essay required.
1 letter of recommendation. Ask teachers or counselors early; good letters take time.
Transcript required. Request it from the school registrar ahead of the deadline.

Deadline and application cycle

The current deadline is February 1, 2027. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around February 1 each year. Applications open opening day of the State Fair, in late September. Applications open on the State Fair's opening day in late September and close at the start of February. This is one of the very few Texas sponsors that publishes its forward opening date.

Applications open: opening day of the State Fair, in late September 2026
Applications close: February 1, 2027

Apply on the official site →Free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge a fee.

Does your student actually qualify?

See if your student qualifies in 30 seconds. Solyo checks 20+ criteria against their real profile: GPA, state, grade level, intended major, and more, across every award in this directory at once.

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Common questions about the Big Tex Scholarship Program

How much is the Big Tex Scholarship Program worth?

The Big Tex Scholarship Program awards $12,000 and is renewable in later years. 103 awards are made each cycle.

When is the Big Tex Scholarship Program deadline?

When do Big Tex Scholarship Program applications open?

Applications open opening day of the State Fair, in late September, and close February 1, 2027. Applications open on the State Fair's opening day in late September and close at the start of February. This is one of the very few Texas sponsors that publishes its forward opening date.

Who is eligible for the Big Tex Scholarship Program?

Key requirements: Must be a resident of Texas; Open to high school seniors.

Does the Big Tex Scholarship Program require an essay?

Yes. The application requires an essay, 1 recommendation, and a transcript. Expect to spend about 5 hours on it.

How hard is it to win the Big Tex Scholarship Program?

Solyo estimates the odds at roughly 1 in 5 applicants, against a modelled field of ~500 students. The pool stays that size because open only to Texas residents and an essay is required, which filters out casual applicants. At 5 hrs of work, that is about $748 of expected value per hour. This is an estimate from award structure, not a published acceptance rate.

Is the Big Tex Scholarship Program free to apply?

Yes. The Big Tex Scholarship Program is free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge an application fee, and Solyo verifies every listed award against its official page.

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Award details are curated by Solyo and verified against the official scholarship page. Deadlines and requirements can change between cycles, so always confirm on the provider's site before applying.