Scholarships through a parent's job or union
Employers, labor unions and credit unions often hold scholarships for the children of their workers or members. The sections below show where to find those awards inside a benefits package, what the sponsor usually asks for and how the money is handled.
Awards written into a benefits package
Large companies sometimes run a scholarship for employees' children through a company foundation or an outside firm that manages the applications. The rules usually require the parent to have worked there for a set period and to still be employed when the award is paid. Details often sit in the benefits handbook or on the internal employee website rather than on the company's public pages.
Smaller employers may have no formal program but still sponsor an award through a local foundation. A parent can ask human resources directly whether any scholarship exists for dependents and who manages it. Some companies also extend awards to the children of retirees or of employees who died while working there.
Union and member awards
Labor unions often fund scholarships at several levels at once, from the local to the state or regional council, the national union and the federations that group unions together. Each level sets its own membership rules, which commonly require a parent to be a member in good standing for a stated length of time. Some unions also open awards to members who are taking classes themselves.
Credit unions, farm cooperatives and trade groups that a parent belongs to may run similar awards. Membership cards, pay stubs or a letter from the union office are the usual proof. Ask the local's secretary or business agent for the forms, since a national award may be listed online while the local one is handed out at meetings.
Each level sets its own membership rules, which commonly require a parent to be a member in good standing for a stated length of time.
What the sponsor asks and how it pays
Employer and union awards often weigh grades, test scores, an essay and sometimes financial need, and an outside firm may score applications before a committee decides. Some awards renew for up to four years if the student keeps a set grade average and full-time enrollment. Read whether a parent leaving the job ends the renewal.
Payment is usually sent to the college in the student's name. The sponsor may ask for proof of enrollment each term before releasing the next payment. Report the award to the college's aid office as soon as you accept it, because it becomes part of your aid for the year.
Steps to take this week
- Ask a parent to check the benefits handbook for a dependent scholarship
- Ask the union local about awards at every level
- Gather proof of a parent's employment or membership
- Note any rule about the parent staying employed
Who decides
The employer's human resources office or the union local
A parent's job or union can carry a scholarship posted only inside the workplace, so ask human resources or the local.
