Union Plus Scholarship

Awarded annually to AFSCME members and their families

Since 1991, the Union Plus Scholarship Program, sponsored by the Union Plus Education Foundation, has awarded more than $5.2 million to students of working families who want to begin or continue their post-secondary education. More than 3,600 families have benefited from our commitment to higher education.

How to Apply

Visit the Union Plus site for more information and to apply online.

2022 Winners

Read the 2022 Union Plus Scholarship press release.

More about the 2022 scholarship winners.

  • Natalia Alzate of Bogota, New Jersey. Alzate, who is a member of AFSCME District Council 37, Local 2507, has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship.
  • Tiffany Ashton of Olyphant, Pennsylvania. Ashton, who is a member of AFSCME Council 87, Local 2333, has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship.
  • Caleb Blair of Granite City, Illinois. Blair, whose father, Chris Blair, is a member of AFSCME Council 31, Local 1964, has been awarded a $500 scholarship.
  • Olivia Brown of Lemont, Illinois. Brown, whose mother, Beth Porch-Brown, is a member of AFSCME Council 31, Local 3696, has been awarded a $500 scholarship.
  • Macie Frommie of Blue Earth, Minnesota. Frommie, whose mother, Lisa Frommie, is a member of AFSCME Council 65, Local 3953, has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship.
  • Caitilin Hall of Seattle. Hall, who is a member of AFSCME Council 28, Local 795, has been awarded a $500 scholarship.
  • Maahum Hamayat of West Chicago, Illinois. Hamayat, whose father, Hasnain Hamayat, is a member of AFSCME Council 31, Local 2258, has been awarded a $500 scholarship.
  • Isabella Hart of Amsterdam, New York. Hart, whose mother, Marguerite Hart, is a member of CSEA/AFSCME Local 1000, has been awarded a $500 scholarship.
  • Hunter Haynes of Castalia, Ohio. Haynes, whose father, Jason Haynes, is a member of AFSCME Council 8, Local 1519, has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship.
  • Laci Joseph of Washington, D.C. Joseph, whose mother, Maria Jones, is a member of AFSCME Council 20, Local 1808, has been awarded a $500 scholarship.
  • Rachel Katkar of Blaine, Minnesota. Katkar, who is a member of AFSCME Council 5, Local 3800, has been awarded a $2,000 scholarship.
  • Britney Kuhn of Volant, Pennsylvania. Kuhn, whose mother, Vonda Kuhn, is a member of AFSCME Council 84, Local 819, has been awarded a $500 scholarship.
  • Ryan Lewis of Scranton, Pennsylvania. Lewis, whose father, Ryan D. Lewis, is a member of AFSCME Council 84, Local 2370, has been awarded a $500 scholarship.
  • Sarah Lira of Woodson, Illinois. Lira, whose legal guardians, Mitchell Smith and Courtney Smith, are members of AFSCME Council 31, Locals 3549 and 805, respectively, has been awarded a $4,000 scholarship.
  • Emilee Little of Chemung, New York. Little, whose mother, Marie Little, is a member of CSEA/AFSCME Local 1000, has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship.
  • Kayla Marold of Central Falls, Rhode Island. Marold, who is a member of AFSCME Council 93, Local 1489, has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship.
  • Samantha Martinez of Wailuku, Hawai`i. Martinez, whose mother, Kristy Bugtong, is a member of HGEA/AFSCME Local 152, has been awarded a $500 scholarship.
  • Tanzania Merriweather of Martinsburg, West Virginia. Merriweather, who is a member of AFSCME Council 3, Local 3661, has been awarded a $550 scholarship.
  • Kesiah Philpot of Stansbury Park, Utah. Philpot, whose father, Jerry Philpot, is a member of AFSCME Local 1004, has been awarded a $550 scholarship.
  • Gianna Pozzi of Spring Valley, Illinois. Pozzi, whose mother, JoAnn Pozzi, is a member of AFSCME Council 31, Local 2615, has been awarded a $550 scholarship.
  • Carson Robb of Kaysville, Utah. Robb, who is a member of AFSCME Local 1004, has been awarded a $4,000 scholarship.
  • Alena Scott of Hamilton, Ohio. Scott, whose mother, Yvette Scott, is a member of OAPSE/AFSCME Local 4, has been awarded a $550 scholarship.
  • Elise Slaughter of Arverne, New York. Slaughter, whose mother, Michelle Louis-Juste, is a member of AFSCME District Council 37, Local 372, has been awarded a $550 scholarship.
  • Nellani Sullivan of Carmi, Illinois. Sullivan, whose father, James Bryan Sullivan, is a member of AFSCME Council 31, Local 3775, has been awarded a $550 scholarship.
  • Savannah Talley of Grants Pass, Oregon. Talley, whose mother, Sarah Talley, is a member of AFSCME Council 75, Local 2619, has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship.
  • Lindsay Tebeck of Walla Walla, Washington. Tebeck, who is a member of AFSCME Council 2, Local 1191, has been awarded a $500 scholarship.
  • Giovanni Verdi of Medford, New York. Verdi, whose mother, Jessica Verdi, is a member of CSEA/AFSCME Local 1000, has been awarded a $550 scholarship.

Eligibility for Scholarships

Current and retiree members of unions participating in any Union Plus program, their spouses and their dependent children (including foster children, step children, and any other child for whom the individual member provides greater than 50% of his or her support) can apply for a Union Plus Scholarship. (Participating union members from Puerto Rico, Canada, Guam and Virgin Islands and U.S. citizens 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.

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.