Current and retired members of unions participating in any Union Plus program, their spouses and their dependent children (including foster children, step children, and any other child for whom the individual member provides greater than 50 percent of his or her support) can apply for a Union Plus Scholarship. Members do not have to purchase any Union Plus program product or participate in any Union Plus programs to apply for the scholarships and scholarship awards are not based upon participation in a Union Plus program. The scholarship program is open to students attending or planning to attend a college or university, a community college, or a technical college or trade school. This is a competitive scholarship, and applicants are evaluated according to academic ability, social awareness, financial need and appreciation of labor. A GPA of 3.0 or higher is recommended. The scholarship applies to any year of study, from the freshman year of college through the last year of graduate school, including law school and medical school. The applicant must be accepted into a U.S. accredited post-secondary school at the time the award is issued. Union members (and family members) from the U.S., Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada are eligible. These are one-time awards. But each year, students may re-apply and they might be selected to receive another award. Two essays are required. One letter of reference from a teacher or other adult who is familiar with the applicant's achievements and abilities must also be submitted. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.