For ten years the Union Plus Scholarship Program has been helping students from working families achieve their educational goals. To date, the program has awarded over $1.5 million to union members and members of their families who want to begin or continue their secondary education. Jan. 31 is the deadline to apply for an award in 2002.

Union members, their spouses and dependent children are eligible for the program, as long as their union participates in the Union Plus credit card program, as Local 802 does. (It’s not necessary for the member to have a Union Plus credit card.) One year of continuous good standing union membership is required at the time of the award.

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. Graduate students are not eligible. Applicants are evaluated according to academic ability, social awareness, financial need and appreciation of labor. Awards range between $500 and $4,000. This is a one-time cash award sent to individual winners for undergraduate study beginning in the fall of 2002.

Applications for this year’s awards must be postmarked no later than Jan. 31, 2002, to be considered. Return the form to the post office box noted on the application. Letters will be sent to winners on May 31.

You can download a scholarship application as an Adobe Acrobat .PDF file from the Union Privilege web site, at www.unionprivilege.org. To receive an application through the mail, send a postcard, with your name, return address, telephone number and international union name clearly printed on it, to: Union Plus Scholarship Program, P.O. Box 34800, Washington, DC 20043-4800.