January 6, 2011
CHICAGO (Jan. 6)—The Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL) announced it once again will offer five academic-based scholarships and five random-drawing scholarships this year to students who have a parent in a CFL-affiliated local or are themselves a member of such a local.
It will be the 28th year that the CFL has offered the William A. Lee scholarships, named after the late former CFL president, who served in that position from 1954 to 1984. Each scholarship is worth $2,000.
UTU Illinois Legislative Director Bob Guy urged children of eligible UTU members to apply for the union-sponsored college money.
“Studies have proven that the best way to improve your lifetime earning power is to get a college education,” Guy said. “One of the hurdles for most families in obtaining such a goal, especially today, is the price of tuition. The Lee Scholarships offer union families a way to slash the cost of a college education by $2,000.
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Students may apply for one of two separate forms of scholarships. One is academic-based, which relies on a student’s grade-point average along with other criteria. The other scholarship offer is randomly awarded based on a drawing. Applying for both forms of the scholarships is not permitted, and all applications must be signed by one of the top two officers of the local with which the student or his parent is affiliated.
Applications are available on line at www.chicagolabor.org. The application form contains all rules and criteria governing the awards process. Completed applications must be returned to the Chicago Federation of Labor, William A. Lee Memorial Scholarship Committee, 130 E. Randolph St., Suite 2600, Chicago IL 60601. All applications must be postmarked no later than March 1, 2011.
“Students from UTU families should try to take advantage of this special benefit of union membership,” Guy said. “Helping provide an education to our next generation is both wise and fulfilling, and it represents yet another benefit to those UTU locals that have taken the extra step to re-affiliate with the Chicago Federation of Labor.”
Guy encouraged all Chicago area UTU locals to consider re-affiliating with the CFL. Currently five UTU locals are affiliated: Nos. 577, 1258, 1290, 1534 and 1973.
