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SIU families eligible for Union Plus scholarships (11/14)

Since 1992, the Union Plus Scholarship Program has awarded more than $2.4 million to students of working families who want to begin or continue their post-secondary education. More than 1,700 families have benefited from this commitment to higher education. The Union Plus Scholarship Program is offered through the Union Plus Edu­cation Foundation. The students selected for university, college, trade school or technical scholarships represent a wide sampling of backgrounds, union affiliations, goals and accomplishments. Eligibility for Scholarships Because the SIU participates in Union Plus, current and retired SIU members, their spouses and their dependent children (including foster children, step children, and any other child for whom the individual member provides greater than 50 percent of his or her support) can apply for a Union Plus Scholarship. (Par­ticipating union members from the U.S., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada are eligible.) Members do not have to purchase any Union Plus program product or participate in any Union Plus programs to apply for the scholarships, and scholarship awards are not based upon participation in a Union Plus program. The individual must be accepted into an accredited college or university, community college or recognized technical or trade school at the time the award is issued. Note: Graduate students are now eligible. Evaluation Criteria The scholarship program is open to students attending or planning to attend a college or university, a community college, or a technical college or trade school. Applicants for scholarships are evaluated according to academic ability, social awareness, financial need and appreciation of labor. Scholarship applications are judged by a committee of impartial post- secondary educators. Applications are first reviewed by a panel of independent career professionals. Semi-finalists are chosen based on a point scale, and their applications are then provided to judges for further review and selection of finalists and awards. Program judges include representatives from the American Association of Com­munity Colleges, the United Negro College Fund, the Ameri­can Association of State Colleges and Universities and the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. Scholarship Award Amounts The amount of the award ranges from $500-$4,000. This is a one-time cash award sent to individual winners for study beginning in the fall of the same year. How to Apply For information about obtaining the Union Plus Scholarship application, visit the Union Plus web site at: www.unionprivilege.org/benefits/custom.cfm or click the link below: Union Plus and then click the education services button. The application deadline is Jan. 31, 2008. Selected scholarship recipients’ names will be announced May 31. Due to the high volume of applications, only winners receive notification. Deadline: All applications must be postmarked by Jan. 31, 2008. ###