IBEW Family Scholarships: A Comprehensive Guide to Requirements and Opportunities
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) offers a variety of scholarships to support its members and their families in pursuing higher education. These scholarships range from local awards to international opportunities, catering to different educational goals and eligibility criteria. This article provides a detailed overview of various IBEW scholarships, their requirements, and application processes.
IBEW Local Union Scholarships
Several IBEW local unions offer scholarships to their members and their families. These scholarships are often specific to the local's jurisdiction and membership requirements.
IBEW Local 965 Scholarship
IBEW Local 965 offers scholarship awards to members' sons and daughters who will graduate from high school in the 2025-2026 school year. The 2026 Scholarship award is in the amount of two (2) $500.00 scholarship awards.
Eligibility:
- The Member must have been in continuous good standing for at least two (2) years with Local 965, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
- The Retiree must have been in good standing with Local 965 at the time of their retirement.
Application Requirements:
- Applicants are required to submit a complete personal resume of their notable activities to date, including sports, community service, and personal goals.
- The Local 965 member is required to submit an essay of between 50-100 words on how being a union member provided you and your family with values and opportunities. The essay should explain how you have been able to instill those values in your son or daughter.
Selection Process:
- The Scholarship Committee will examine the complete record of each scholarship applicant.
- All applicants that satisfactorily complete the requirements of the scholarship will have their name included in a random drawing, from which two winners will be picked.
Award Disbursement:
- The scholarships will be awarded upon proof of acceptance into an accredited college, university, or technical college as full-time students attending at least a one (1) year program.
- The check will be made payable to the recipients and to the appropriate institutions.
IBEW Local 43 Scholarship Fund
IBEW Local 43 provides scholarships to its members, spouses, and their dependents. The scholarship fund aims to support further education and training for those affiliated with the local union.
Eligibility:
- Applicants must meet initial eligibility requirements as defined by the By-Laws of Local Union 43, IBEW.
- Members must have paid dues to Local 965 for a period of at least two (2) years to be in good standing for the purpose of this program.
Application Process:
- Applications must be requested in writing using the appropriate form provided by the LU.
- Application requests must be received by the LU no later than March 1 of the year for which application is being made.
- In the case of a dependent, a copy of the member's Federal tax return for the year prior to the award year must be submitted. This copy must include the heading and appropriate dependent declaration lines (no financial information is required).
- Completed applications must be submitted to and received by the Committee no later than June 1 of the award year.
Maintaining Eligibility:
- Recipients must sign, along with the qualifying member, a Scholarship Loan Agreement.
- Recipients must maintain a full-time course load of at least twelve (12) credit hours per semester.
- Recipients must maintain satisfactory academic progress.
- Recipients must remain current in their assessment to Local Union 43.
Disqualification and Reinstatement:
- A recipient will be disqualified if they are not the qualified member or their spouse and reaches the age of twenty-four or ceases to be a dependent (i.e. - marriage).
- Disqualification also occurs if the participant fails to maintain full-time status as defined in the rules, during a semester for which an award was received.
- Reinstatement to eligible status of someone who has become disqualified because of failure to maintain a full-time course load is at the discretion of the Committee provided the person meets basic criteria.
Award Amounts and Disbursement:
- Award amounts will be determined by the Committee.
- Awards will be granted on an annual basis with payments being made in two installments.
- The first installment will be paid to the student after all proof of eligibility has been received by the Committee's agent but no sooner than August 15 of the award year.
- A student shall be eligible for a maximum of eight award payments.
- Scholarship checks will be made out in the names of the recipients and the institutions they will attend.
Repayment of Awards:
- Certain disqualification circumstances demand repayment of awards already received.
- When a repayment is required, a check for the amount determined by the Committee and these rules should be made payable to IBEW Local 43 Scholarship Fund.
IBEW Local 223 Scholarship
IBEW Local 223 offers an annual scholarship opportunity to the sons and daughters of IBEW Local 223 Members who are graduating high school and going directly to college are eligible for this Scholarship Award.
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Application Requirements:
- Applicants will need to submit High School Transcript and SAT Scores, if available.
- Also, please include a brief summary describing your goals for furthering your education as well as how your family has benefitted from local union involvement.
IBEW Local 1245 Scholarships
IBEW Local 1245 offers several scholarships with specific eligibility requirements and awards.
IBEW 1245 Scholarships for Dependents
Eligibility:
- Applicants must be surviving children, grandchildren, or spouses of an IBEW 1245 member or retiree club member who was current and in good standing at the time of their death.
Application Process:
- Applicants will be required to submit two letters of recommendation from a non-relative instructor, principal, counselor, or supervisor, and a 500-word essay.
Award:
- No applicant can be awarded more than one scholarship per year, but applicants may apply for more than one scholarship if they meet the eligibility requirements.
IBEW 1245 Veteran's Scholarship
Eligibility:
- Applicants must be IBEW 1245 members or retiree club members in good standing AND honorably discharged veterans of a branch of the United States Armed Forces or Reserve.
Application Process:
- Applicants will be required to submit two letters of recommendation from a non-relative instructor, principal, counselor, or supervisor, and a 500-word essay.
Award:
- No applicant can be awarded more than one scholarship per year, but applicants may apply for more than one scholarship if they meet the eligibility requirements.
Ronald T. Weakley/Volta Scholarship
Eligibility:
- Applicants must live in the jurisdiction of IBEW Local 1245, be the first generation in their family to work in the utility industry, and cannot be a current or former IBEW member.
Application Process:
- Applications are accepted from March 1 through March 31 for the fall class and October 1 through October 31 for the spring class.
- Applicants must submit a photo of a current CA or NV driver’s license with no restrictions.
Award:
- Four recipients will be selected each year (two in the spring and two in the fall) to receive a one-time scholarship to attend the Northwest JATC Training Center (Volta) in Oregon.
- One winner will be selected each year to receive a one-time scholarship for $10,000. The recipient will receive $2,500 to be used for tuition to the VOLTA line school.
IBEW International Founders' Scholarship
The IBEW International Founders Scholarships are worth up to $200 per semester credit hour at any accredited college or university toward an associate’s, bachelor’s or postgraduate degree in an approved field. The IBEW Founders’ Scholarship honors the dedicated wiremen and linemen who, on November 28, 1891, organized the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Each year the officers of the IBEW are pleased to offer its working members scholarships on a competitive basis. It is hoped that the awards will not only contribute to the personal development of our members but also steward the electrical industry that our founders envisioned.
- IBEW International Founders Scholarships worth up to $24,000 are available from the IBEW head office to IBEW members wanting to pursue a college education.
Union Plus Scholarship Program
The Union Plus Scholarship Program offers scholarships to union members, their spouses, and dependent children.
Eligibility:
- Current and retired members of participating unions, their spouses, and their dependent children (as defined by IRS regulations).
- At least one year of continuous union membership by the applicant, applicant's spouse, or parent (if applicant is a dependent). The one-year membership minimum must be satisfied by May 31 of the scholarship year.
Evaluation Criteria:
- Applicants are evaluated according to academic ability, social awareness, financial need, and appreciation of labor. A GPA of 3.0 or higher is recommended.
Application Deadline:
- Applications are due by noon Eastern Standard Time on January 31 of the scholarship year. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered.
Scholarship Award Amounts:
- Amounts range from $500 to $4,000. These one-time cash awards are for study beginning in the fall of the awarded year. Students may re-apply each year.
Isaiah's Award:
- Applicants for Isaiah's Award must have a special connection to the foster care system and will be asked in their application to describe their personal, employment, volunteer experiences, or career goals related to the foster care system.
Award Date:
- The Scholarship Committee will determine recipients of scholarship awards by May 31 each year.
Union Plus Education Foundation:
- The Union Plus Education Foundation has awarded more than $5.9 million in scholarships to students of union families.
Greater Southeastern Massachusetts Labor Council Scholarships
The Greater Southeastern Massachusetts Labor Council (GSMLC) offers several scholarships to union members and their families in Southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and the Islands.
General Scholarship
- The GSMLC gives out at least three $1,000 scholarships each year.
- These are available to high school seniors living in Southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and the Islands, and have a parent, legal guardian, aunt, uncle, or grandparent, or are themselves, a members of a labor union affiliated with the Greater Southeastern Massachusetts Labor Council.
- The most important element of the selection criteria is the essay, followed by the student’s grades.
- The deadline is International Workers Day/May Day each year.
Evelyn Moniz Memorial Scholarship
- This is available to current union members living in Southeastern Massachusetts, or Cape Cod and the Islands, affiliated with the Greater Southeastern Massachusetts Labor Council.
- The most important element of the selection criteria in the essay is the commitment to future action by the applicant.
- The deadline is rolling.
Jose Soler Memorial Scholarship
- This $1,000 scholarship is available to a student of any age, seeking to continue their post-high school/GED education, including undergraduate and graduate-level studies.
- They must also be an active member of a labor union affiliated with the Greater Southeastern Massachusetts Labor Council, or have a parent, stepparent, legal guardian, brother, sister, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or student applicant be a member of a labor union affiliated with the Council.
- Ideal candidates will embody the traits that José personified- community engagement, social consciousness, activism, artistic & intellectual excellence, and ‘telling truth to power.’
- All candidates will be considered, but those with experience in community organizing are encouraged to apply.
- The deadline is International Workers Day/May Day each year.
Bruce Oliveira Memorial Scholarship
- This $1,000 scholarship is available to graduating high school seniors, attending a vocational school, and a parent, stepparent, legal guardian, brother, sister, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or student applicant who must be a member of a labor union affiliated with the Council.
- Applications are based on how well the student embodies dedication to service, learning, and community.
- The deadline is International Workers Day/May Day each year.
- If no eligible vocational student applies, we may choose to give out a scholarship in Bruce’s honor to a graduating high school senior.
Cindy Rodrigues Memorial Scholarship
- This $1000+ scholarship is available to a student of any age, whom a a parent, stepparent, legal guardian, brother, sister, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or student applicant are a member of a labor union affiliated with the Council.
- Ideal candidates will embody the traits that Cindy personified: Principled - she led with integrity, fairness, and a strong moral compass in every role she held; Relentless - she never stopped organizing, advocating, or fighting for working people, even after retirement; Compassionate - her empathy for coworkers, immigrant women, children, and her deep commitment to community guided her work and relationships.
- All candidates will be considered, but those with experience in community organizing are highly encouraged to apply.
Success Stories
Many IBEW members and their families have benefited from these scholarship programs. For example, Yanni Nassis brought his family to the US from Greece and later became a member of New York Local 3. His daughter, Electra Nassis, wrote that she would not have had the opportunity to go to college without the stability and opportunity her father found in the IBEW.
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Other notable scholarship recipients include:
- Emily Krupa of Oregon City, Ore., whose father, Dale Krupa, is a member of Portland Local 125, received a $2,000 scholarship.
- Aaryn Wilson of Minneapolis, Minn., whose mother, Edith Washington, is a member of Minneapolis Local 292 and was the first black, female electrician in the state of Minnesota, won a $1,000 scholarship.
- Amanda Bozin of Torrance, Calif., Justin Garcia of Fort Bragg, Calif. (whose father, Dan Garcia, a member of Vacaville, Local 1245, and his grandfather were members of the IBEW), and Emily Finkel of Massapequa Park, N.Y. (whose father, Mark Finkel, is also a member of Local 3) have each been awarded $750 scholarships.
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