2019 BLET Scholarship Information

James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund

The James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund (JRHMSF) is now accepting applications, and the deadline is March 31, 2019.

The application process is completely online this year. All applications must be completed through the on-line portal found on the Fund’s website: http://www.jrhmsf.org . This JRHMSF website outlines eligibility requirements and application procedures, and applicants must complete a brief registration process in order to access the registration area. Please use the “Key” JRHMSF to begin the process.

There are two types of scholarship applications available: Academic Scholarships, which range up to $10,000, and Training/Vocational Scholarships, which range up to $2,000. Full details and eligibility requirements for each type of scholarship are available on the JRHMSF website at the link above.

In 2018, 48 BLET families were awarded JRHMSF scholarships, including eight $10,000 scholarships, 36 $1,000 scholarships and four vocational scholarships. The $10,000 scholarships are the highest amount awarded by the JRHMSF.

James R. Hoffa became a Teamster member in 1934 and served as General President for 14 years, and, in recognition of his tireless service to the union and its members, was honored as General President Emeritus for life. At the November 1999 General Executive Board meeting, then-General Secretary-Treasurer C. Thomas Keegel presented a resolution to establish the new scholarship fund. Assisting the sons, daughters and financial dependents of Teamster members with their educational goals is a tradition that we are proud to continue.

The James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund is an independent organization established and registered as a tax-exempt entity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Fund is established solely to provide scholarships to the child or dependent of a member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and contributions to the Fund are deductible as charitable contributions to the extent permitted by law.

For general questions about the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund, please call (855) 670-ISTS (4787) or Email: contactus@applyISTS.com .
 

BLET Auxiliary and LECMPA Scholarship Programs

Established in 1991, the BLET Auxiliary Scholarship Program provides $1,000 scholarships to qualifying students who wish to pursue higher education. The Auxiliary also offers two $2,500 scholarships annually in collaboration with Locomotive Engineers and Conductors Mutual Protective Association (LECMA). The two $2,500 scholarships are fully funded by LECMPA.

To apply for an Auxiliary Scholarship award, the applicant must be a son, daughter, stepson, or stepdaughter of a BLET Auxiliary member and a Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineer and Trainmen member (living or deceased), with each being a member at least one year. An exception has been made for those children of single-parent BLET members with at least one year of membership in the BLET and at least one year of membership as a BLET Auxiliary Associate Member. To qualify for the LECMPA-funded scholarships, the BLET member in the family must also be a member of LECMPA for no less than one year. Children of an unmarried BLET member who has been an Associate Member of the BLET Auxiliary for at least one year are also eligible.

In addition, applicants must be accepted for admission by an accredited university, college, trade school, or institute of higher learning. Recipients are chosen on the basis of academic record, leadership, character, and personal achievement.

Important: For high school seniors entering an institute of higher learning for the first time, a copy of ACT or SAT scores and a current copy of cumulative grade point average (GPA) must accompany the application. For graduate students or students returning to an institute of higher learning, a copy of last term’s (or most current) GPA must accompany the application. Applications submitted without these documents will not be considered.

The LECMPA-funded scholarships will be awarded to the two applicants who score the highest amongst those who qualify (by having one parent who is an Auxiliary member for at least one year, and one parent who is a BLET member and LECMPA member for at least one year). If an applicant meets the eligibility requirements for the LECMPA-funded scholarships but is not selected for one of the two $2,500 scholarships, he/she will still be eligible for a $1,000 scholarship.

Completed applications must be received by BLET Auxiliary Secretary Lawana Poss (lewp2007@bellsouth.net) no later than April 1, 2019. Applications received after that date will not be considered.

Applications, instructions for scholarships, and mailing address for submission may be found on the Auxiliary website at
http://www.bletauxiliary.net/scholarships .
 

BR&CF Scholarship Program

The Brotherhood’s Relief and Compensation Fund (BR&CF) is pleased to provide opportunities for the sons and daughters of BR&CF members to participate in the Luther G. Smith Scholarship Program.

Children, including adopted and step-children, of BR&CF members who are in “Good and Regular Standing,” are eligible. Applicants must be 27 years of age or younger. Applicants may be current high school students who have applied for admission as full-time students in accredited post-secondary schools or may be attending or enrolled as full-time students in accredited post-secondary schools.

International President Jesse Taylor advises that 20 scholarships of $1,000 each are awarded every year.

The BR&CF’s 2019 scholarship program commenced on October 1, 2018, with applications due on March 1, 2019. The scholarship application is available by visiting BR&CF’s website at http://www.brcf.org.
 

Union Plus Scholarships

Union Plus awarded $150,000 in scholarships to 115 students in the 2018 Union Plus Scholarship Program. Individual awards ranged from $500 to $4,000. The deadline is January 31 each year.

Rising education costs are making it difficult for many union families to afford the cost of tuition. That’s one reason Union Plus, which provides important consumer benefits to union members and retirees, offers a unique scholarship program. It has distributed more than $4.3 million in scholarships to over 2,900 union members and their children since 1991. Recipients are selected based on academic ability, social awareness, financial need and appreciation of labor. A GPA of 3.0 or higher is recommended.

The students selected for university, college, trade or technical school scholarships represent a wide sampling of backgrounds, union affiliations, goals and accomplishments. The selection process is very competitive since Union Plus receives over 5,000 applications each year. The Union Plus Scholarship Program is offered through the Union Plus Education Foundation, supported in part by contributions 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..

Visit the Union Plus website to learn more:
https://www.unionplus.org/scholarships.