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UFCW International Scholarship
Every year the UFCW SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM offers scholarships to UFCW members or their immediate family members who want to further their education and demonstrate a commitment to their communities and to UFCW values. Since 1958, the fund has distributed more than $2 million in scholarships.*
Past winners have gone on to make significant contributions to society and to the UFCW – entering a range of fields including public service, medicine, law, business and teaching. Many have returned to the UFCW as staffers, organizers, and community activists who contribute to our mission.
*UFCW-employed officers and staff, and their immediate families are not eligible for this program.
Union Plus Scholarship Program
Since 1991, the Union Plus Scholarship Program has awarded more than $3.7 million to students of working families who want to begin or continue their post-secondary education. Over 2,500 families have benefited from our commitment to higher education. The Union Plus Scholarship Program is offered through the Union Plus Education Foundation, funded in part by donations from the provider of the Union Plus Credit Card. (You do not need to be a Union Plus Credit Card holder to apply for this scholarship.)
How does the Union Plus Scholarship Program work?
Evaluation criteria:
This is a competitive scholarship. Applicants are evaluated according to academic ability, social awareness, financial need and appreciation of labor. A GPA of 3.0 or higher is recommended.
The required essays can account for up to half your total score.
Scholarship applicants are judged by a committee of impartial post-secondary educators.
College Savings Grants
Also offered through Union Plus, union members are eligible for a $500 grant to members who open a new 529 college savings or a pre-paid tuition account after July 1, 2011. Your 529 account beneficiary must be 12 years old or younger at the time your open your 529 account. Once you open the 529 account, you must build savings of at least $1,000. These grants are only available while funds last.
Degree Programs
The UMass Labor Center
The Labor Relations and Research Center is an integrated program of graduate education, research, and direct service to workers. Union members and community activists can further their knowledge of the labor movement and worker issues through The Labor Center’s Residential Master’s Degree Program that combines coursework and an internship toward an M.S. degree in Labor Studies. The Labor Center also offers a limited-residency Union Leadership and Administration Program geared towards trade union officers, staff, and activists.
The National Labor College
The National Labor College is the only college in the United States with an exclusive mission to serve the educational needs of the labor movement. It is an activist institution made up of students, faculty and alumni who together form a learning community based on a common understanding of the world of work and the ecology of the labor movement. The College respects that its student body is made up of experienced, highly skilled working adults who have multiple commitments to family, job, union and community and offers a range of online degree programs designed to be flexible around workers’ needs.
Degree programs offered by the college have included:
- B.A. in Business Administration
- B.A. in Construction Management
- B.S. in Emergency Readiness and Response Management
- B.A. in Labor Education
- B.A. in Labor Safety and Health
- B.A. in Labor Studies
- B.A. in Union Leadership and Administration
The Murphy Institute
The Murphy Institute for Worker Education and Labor Studies was established in collaboration with New York City labor unions and the City University of New York. The Institute offers educational opportunities to union members and serves as an academic resource on issues of concern to the labor movement. The Institute includes The Center for Worker Education and the Center for Community, Labor and Policy Studies.
Learn More
Want to earn your GED!
Every UFCW member can take GED classes for free.
UFCW members can take General Equivalency Diploma (GED) classes for free through Essential GED.
This GED program offers a customized learning plan, so that you’ll be able to successfully prepare yourself to pass the GED test, regardless of when you last went to school.
This program also allows you to study at your own pace – all classes are self-guided and can be completed from your phone or tablet.