AFSCME Helps Out with College

AFSCME International is offering scholarship and internship opportunities for AFSCME families.

High School Seniors

College Students

Adults

For High School Seniors

• Richard E. Patterson Scholarship. Children of Council 5 members are eligible for the $1,000 scholarship if they graduate from high school this year and intend to enter an accredited Minnesota or Wisconsin post-secondary institution. The application deadline is May 7.
• Clarence J. Moss Scholarship. Children or dependents of Council 5 members are eligible for the $500 scholarship if they are graduating high school seniors who will enter a Minnesota public institution of higher learning.The application deadline is May 7.
• Minnesota AFL-CIO Scholarship. Five $1,000 scholarships will be given to union members or dependents who graduate from high school this year and will enroll in a post-secondary institution in Minnesota. The application deadline is April 30.
• Nellie Stone Johnson Scholarship. Renewable scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,000 are available for minority union members or their family members who attend or plan to attend a MnSCU institution. The application deadline is May 1.
• AFSCME Family Scholarship. Renewable college grants of $2,000 each are given for children or dependents of AFSCME members. The application deadline typically is in December for the following academic year.
• Union Plus Scholarship. One-time grants for $500-$4,000 are available for union members or their children enrolled in a college or university, community college, or technical college or trade school. The application deadline typically is in January for the academic calendar that begins later that year.

For Those Already in College

• A Spring Break That Does Something: College seniors and recent graduates looking for a spring break that makes a difference are invited to apply for AFSCME’s Alternative Union Break. The deadline to apply is Feb. 22. The six-day program takes talented activists who share a passion for social justice and brings them together for a crash course in labor organizing. Participants learn the basics and take part in an actual organizing campaign. Afterward, they will be given priority consideration for AFSCME’s yearlong Organizer in Training positions. Spring break training sessions run March 14-19 or March 21-26.
• Summer Internships: College sophomores and juniors of color can apply for the Union Scholars Program, an initiative sponsored by AFSCME, the United Negro College Fund, and Labor and Worklife Program at Harvard Law School. The deadline to apply is Feb. 28. The program includes summer internships with AFSCME and college scholarships of up to $5,000 for the following academic year. The goal is to attract and train activists of color to join the labor movement as a career.
• Majoring in Social Sciences? College sophomores in AFSCME families who are majoring in a social science may be eligible to apply for the Jerry Clark Memorial Scholarship. Two scholarships of $5,000 are given each year. The scholarship also includes an opportunity for a summer internship with AFSCME’s political department.
  The application deadline is April 30.

For Adults

In addition to the Union Plus and Nellie Stone Johnson scholarships, Council 5 members may be eligible for these college or adult education scholarships as well:

• Robert Norberg Scholarship. This Council 5 grant is for adult members continuing their education at a public college or university in Minnesota. Two awards of $250 are given. The application deadline is May 7.
• Tobey Lapakko and Charles McKenna Leadership Grants. These Minnesota AFL-CIO scholarships go to union members – one woman, one man – seeking to develop their abilities and skills as union leaders.
• Martin Duffy Adult Learner Scholarship. For members of unions affiliated with the Minnesota AFL-CIO. The $500 award can be used at an accredited university, college or vocational school. The application deadline is April 30.
• Joey Parisi Scholarship for Labor Leaders. This AFSCME scholarship is for union organizers who want to pursue a degree in labor studies.
• Nadra Floyd Memorial Scholarship. This AFSCME scholarship, worth $2,000 per year, helps members pursue a degree at the National Labor College.
• Union Plus National Labor College Scholarship. This scholarship helps current union members pursue a degree at the National Labor College.
• Union Leaders of the Future Scholarship. Grants of up to $3,000, supplied by Union Plus, are designed to develop more union leadership among women and people of color.