Overview      
The Virginia FFA Association State Degree Program consists of State Degrees, State Stars, and Honorary Degrees.

Minimum Qualifications      
The minimal qualifications for the Virginia State Degree are as follows.

• Candidate has been an active FFA member for at least the immediate past 24 months, and completed at least 360 hours of instruction in agricultural education at or above the 9th grade level.
• Candidate has received the Chapter FFA Degree.
• Candidate has demonstrated leadership ability by performing 10 procedures of parliamentary law.
• Candidate has been a chapter officer or served on a major committee.
• Candidate has participated in at least five FFA Activities above the chapter level.
• Has participated in the planning & completion of the local program of activities.
• Candidate has given at least a six minute speech.
• Candidate has in operation and has maintained records to substantiate an outstanding supervised agricultural experience program through which exhibits comprehensive planning, managerial & financial expertise.
• Candidate has earned at least $1000 or has worked up to 300 unpaid hours or combination of the two.
• Candidate has productively invested at least $1000, and has worked up to 300 unpaid hours or combination of the two.
• Candidate has achieved a satisfactory record of scholarship and participation in high school activities.

Community Service      
Defining Community Service: Community service engages students in the educational process, allowing them to use practices they learn in the classroom to make a difference in real life. Students not only learn about democracy and citizenship, they become actively contributing citzens and community members through the service they perform.

Use this definition as a guide to determine if a given activity meets the community service requirements. An activity must meet all of the following criteria in order to be approved as community service:

• The activity has tangible community involvement.
• Students have an opportunity to gain skills and competencies or apply skills and competencies learned in the classroom setting.
• The activity has a demonstrated positive impact on the community, or individuals who live and work in the community.
• The student gives of his/her time, energy or knowledge through activities focused on helping others, improving community resources or improving community infrastructure.
• The community service activity can be organized by the FFA chapter; however, it must be performed outside of classroom time.
• Activities listed as community service cannot be duplicated in the FFA activities section of the application.
• Students may only list the activity in one section of the application

When using this definition, consider this example: Participating on a school athletic team is a school related activity, but is not community service. Volunteering as a Little League, Pop Warmer Football or Soccer team coach would be acceptable. As stated in the Official FFA Manual, American FFA Degree candidates must have participated in at least 50 hours of community service, within at least three different community service activities.

Hours and activities reported here cannot be duplicated in the sections above or on page 3 placement activities. All hours in this section must take place outside of regularly scheduled class time.

Year: The calendar year in which the activity was conducted such as 2019, 2020, 2021, etc.

Hours:
Chapter Degree : 10 hours required
State Degree: 25 hours required (2 different activities required)
American Degree: 50 hours required (3 different activities required)