Merit-Based ScholarshipsLong shot

Union Plus Scholarship

Offered by Union Plus (AFL-CIO Union Privilege) · Free to apply

Award

$1,000 to $4,000

one-time award

Deadline

January 31, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. EST

deadlines recur around January each year

Estimated odds

1 in 63

Solyo estimate, not a published rate

Application effort

~6 hrs

about $7 of expected value per hour

The Union Plus Scholarship is open to members of roughly 60 AFL-CIO affiliated unions, along with their spouses and dependent children, so a single application reaches a very wide pool of union families. Awards run from $1,000 to $4,000 and selection weighs academic ability, social awareness, financial need and understanding of the labour movement. In 2026 Union Plus awarded $300,000 across 181 recipients, and it publishes its winners every year. Worth being clear-eyed about the odds: 181 awards sounds generous, but the eligible pool is millions of union households, so the real rate is likely tougher than many open national awards.

How hard is the Union Plus Scholarship to win?

A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first.

Estimated odds: roughly 1 in 63 applicants
Modelled applicant field: ~11,000 students
Awards each cycle: 181
Payoff per hour of work: $7 / hr

What drives the odds here

Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.

More rivalsOpen nationwide, so the field is large
Fewer rivalsAn essay is required, which filters out casual applicants
Fewer rivalsAn official transcript is required

How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.

Who can apply for the Union Plus Scholarship?

These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.

Open to high school seniors and current college students

Confirm these before applying

The applicant, their spouse or a parent must have at least one year of continuous membership in a participating union, satisfied by May 31 of the scholarship year.

Good to know

A GPA of 3.0 or above is recommended but not required.

What the application takes

Essay required. The prompt centers on personal leadership.
Transcript required. Request it from the school registrar ahead of the deadline.

Deadline and application cycle

The current deadline is January 31, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. EST. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around January 31 each year. Applications open mid-June.

Applications open: mid-June 2026
Applications close: January 31, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. EST

Apply on the official site →Free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge a fee.

Does your student actually qualify?

See if your student qualifies in 30 seconds. Solyo checks 20+ criteria against their real profile: GPA, state, grade level, intended major, and more, across every award in this directory at once.

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Common questions about the Union Plus Scholarship

How much is the Union Plus Scholarship worth?

The Union Plus Scholarship awards $1,000 to $4,000. 181 awards are made each cycle.

When is the Union Plus Scholarship deadline?

The current deadline is January 31, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. EST. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around January 31 each year. Applications open mid-June.

When do Union Plus Scholarship applications open?

Applications open mid-June, and close January 31, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Who is eligible for the Union Plus Scholarship?

Key requirements: Open to high school seniors and current college students.

Does the Union Plus Scholarship require an essay?

Yes. The application requires an essay and a transcript. Expect to spend about 6 hours on it.

How hard is it to win the Union Plus Scholarship?

Solyo estimates the odds at roughly 1 in 63 applicants, against a modelled field of ~11,000 students. The pool stays that size because an essay is required, which filters out casual applicants and an official transcript is required. At 6 hrs of work, that is about $7 of expected value per hour. This is an estimate from award structure, not a published acceptance rate.

Is the Union Plus Scholarship free to apply?

Yes. The Union Plus Scholarship is free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge an application fee, and Solyo verifies every listed award against its official page.

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Award details are curated by Solyo and verified against the official scholarship page. Deadlines and requirements can change between cycles, so always confirm on the provider's site before applying.