Apply Now for 2009 Union Plus Scholarships

by James Parks, Oct 26, 2008

John Chiarello, a Transport Workers member, and Theresa Hoang, daughter of an IFPTE member, are two of the 2008 Union Plus scholarship winners.

With college tuition costs skyrocketing and the economy plummeting, students from union families who are planning to go to college in 2009 should apply now for the Union Plus Scholarship Program. The program offers $150,000 in scholarships annually to union members, their spouses and dependents. This year, 108 students received scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $4,000 each.

To download the application, visit www.UnionPlus.org/Scholarships. Or send a postcard with your name, return address, telephone number and international union name to: Union Plus Education Foundation, c/o Union Privilege, P.O. Box 34800, Washington, D.C. 20043-4800. Application deadline is Jan. 31, 2009. 

Since 1992, the Union Plus Scholarship Program has provided more than $2.5 million to help fulfill the educational dreams of students who represent millions of working families across the nation.    

More than 5,200 applications were received last year in the annual scholarship program. All members of unions participating in the Union Plus programs (as well as their spouses and dependent children) are eligible to apply for scholarships.  

In addition to demonstrating academic ability, applicants must submit essays of no more than 500 words describing their career goals, detailing their relationship with the union movement and explaining why they are deserving of a union scholarship. 

You also must be accepted into an accredited college or university, community college or recognized technical or trade school at the time the award is issued. Graduate school students also are eligible for Union Plus scholarships. 

The scholarship program is sponsored by the Union Plus Education Foundation, an arm of Union Privilege, which provides consumer benefits to members and retirees of participating unions. HSBC, the issuer of the Union Plus credit card, funds the scholarships.  

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