CLEVELAND, June 23 — Brianna Jones and Ashley Stengel, children of BLET members, have been selected to receive 2005 Union Plus scholarship awards. Jones, daughter of Wyoming State Legislative Board Chairman and BLET Division 44 (Cheyenne, Wyo.) member Terry R. Jones, will receive a $1,000 scholarship. Stengel, daughter of BLET Division 78 (Louisville, Ky.) member J. Kevin Stengel, will receive $750.
They are among the 120 students from 40 AFL-CIO unions who have been awarded $150,000 in scholarships from the Union Plus Scholarship Program.
Since 1992, the Union Plus Scholarship program has awarded more than $2 million to union members or members of their families who want to begin or continue their secondary education. More than 1,300 families have benefited from the commitment of unions to higher education.
The Union Plus Scholarship awards are presented annually. The program is offered through the Union Plus Education Foundation with funding provided by HSBC, issuer of the Union Plus Credit Card.
Rising Costs, Increased Needs
For years, policy makers and economists have described how higher education increasingly is critical to American workers and to the competitiveness of the U.S. economy. The union movement has been at the forefront of providing such opportunities for working-class college students.
Today, these opportunities are threatened by skyrocketing college tuition costs, cuts in federally funded college grants and scholarships and increasing loan burdens. Union support through scholarships and grants is more vital than ever to working families.
“Our members and their families are faced with expanding financial challenges and the rising costs of higher education,” said Leslie Tolf, president of Union Privilege. “Our support, which recognizes the realities of balancing career and family, provides individuals from working families with needed assistance. We are proud to sponsor the Union Plus scholarship program and held men and women in he labor movement realize their dreams for a higher education.”
A Challenging Process
The students selected for awards represent a wide sampling of demographics, union affiliations, goals and accomplishments. Representatives from the American Association of Community Colleges, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities and the United Negro College Fund judged the applications.
According to the judges, the caliber of students this year made the selection process very challenging. Students earned top SAT scores, were well-rounded in their studies and extracurricular activities and showed an understanding of the value of working families and union membership.
How the Scholarship Program Works
In addition to demonstrated academic ability, applicants submitted 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. The program is open to members of unions that participate in any Union Plus program, their spouses and dependent children. Individuals must be accepted into an accredited college or university, community college or recognized technical or trade school at the time the award is issued. Members do not have to purchase any Union Plus program product or participate in any Union Plus program to apply.
2006 Applications
Applications for the 2006 awards will be available in September. To download the application from the Union Privilege website at that time, visit www.unionplus.org/scholarships. Or, send a postcard with your name, return address, telephone number and international union affiliation to: Union Plus Education Foundation, c/o Union Privilege, P.O. Box 34800, Washington, DC 20043-4800. The application deadline is Jan. 31, 2006. Recipients’ names for the 2006 program will be announced May 31, 2006. However, due to the high volume of applications, only winners will receive notification.