Spring 2026 Grant and Scholarship Application Cycle Now Open

TREE Fund’s Spring 2026 Grant and Scholarship Application Cycle is now open and accepting applications.

Two research grants, two education grants, and six student scholarships are available for application this spring. The spring application cycle runs from January 15 to March 15. Information and application details can all be found on TREE Fund’s website, www.treefund.org.

This application cycle includes the Utility Arborists Research Fund Grant (UARF), which was recently extended by TREE Fund and the Utility Arborist Association, and the Barborinas Family Fund Grant (Barborinas Fund). UARF is a research grant that focuses on research that is beneficial to utility tree care professionals and provides a grant of up to $50,000. The Barborinas Fund supports work with study of the processes of the nursery industry with the focus on root system and above ground structures and provides a grant of up to $10,000. Applications for these grants require Letters of Intent to be submitted by March 1, with applications due by March 15.

Two education grants are available for programs that educate the public about trees and the importance of tree care. The two grants are The Davey Tree Expert Company Community Arboriculture Education Grant (The Davey Fund) and the Ohio Chapter ISA Education Grant. The Davey Fund was created with the help of The Davey Tree Care Expert Company to support community-based arboricultural education in the United States and provides two grants of up to $5,000 annually.

The Ohio Chapter ISA Education Grant Program is funded by the Ohio Chapter ISA and focuses on arboricultural education programs or projects within the state of Ohio. This grant amount is also for $5,000.

TREE Fund has six scholarships available this cycle for undergraduate students or high school seniors that are interested in pursuing studies and careers in arboriculture and related disciplines. The six scholarships- Bonnie Appleton Memorial Scholarship, Robert Felix Memorial Scholarship, Larry R. Hall Memorial Scholarship, Will Nutter Memorial Scholarship, Fran Ward Women in Arboriculture Scholarship, and John Wright Memorial Scholarship- all offer $5,000 scholarships to students. Applications for these must be submitted by March 15.

“We had a record number of applicants for our grants and scholarship programs last year, proving again how vital funding research and the career paths of future arborists is not only to the tree care industry, but to the benefit of our urban forests as a whole,” said Paul Putman, TREE Fund President and CEO. “The more we can use research to help train and educate the arborists and workers that care for our trees, the more every-day citizens will understand that hiring people with that knowledge is imperative to helping those trees stay healthy, strong, and safe.”