SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANTS

AT WORK FOR

you

SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE TO UFCW MEMBERS AND/OR THEIR DEPENDANTS

We are proud of our union’s long tradition of providing and supporting education and training opportunities working people so that they can build a better life. With the increasing cost of education, an important part of that support involves providing scholarships and education grants exclusively to UFCW Local 247 members and their dependants.

We are proud to say that our scholarships and grants are open to applicants from across UFCW Local 247, regardless of their workplace or industry, whether they are studying full-time or part-time, or whether they are citizens, permanent residents, or international students.

For over two decades, our UFCW Local 247 Training Centre in New Westminster provided direct training to working people, whether they were union members or not. The legacy of that work lives on through the Iorio Scholarship and Eddy Education Grant, both of which are named in honour of UFCW Local 247 advocates who dedicated so many years to providing worker education and training programs.

Because of our affiliation with UFCW Canada and UFCW International, our national and international union bodies, UFCW Local 247 members have access to many more scholarships.

We hope UFCW Local 247 members take advantage of these opportunities, one of the many advantages of union membership.

Union scholarships are available on an annual basis and have different eligibility requirements and application timelines. Full details are available below.

UFCW Local 247 IORIO SCHOLARSHIP - $1,500 for Full-Time Studies

UFCW Local 247’s scholarship and education grant programs are named in honour of two outstanding leaders who were the heart and soul of the UFCW Local 247 Training Centre for many years.

Denyse Iorio, alongside her long-time colleague Nolan Eddy, was instrumental in ensuring the long-term success of many of our training centre programs, which benefited hundreds of participants throughout the years. Denyse retired in 2016 and sadly passed away in 2020.

The Iorio Scholarships, always together and alongside the Eddy Education Grants, honour the legacy of two UFCW Local 247 advocates who believed that giving working people access to education is essential in building a strong union and a better world.

UFCW Local 247 awards up to 10 Iorio Scholarships of $1,500 each year.

Eligibility Requirements

Successful candidates must:

Be an active member of UFCW Local 247 or an eligible dependant*;
Be enrolled in full-time studies, as defined by the educational institution;
Have maintained continuously active UFCW Local 247 membership from the six (6) month period immediately prior to the commencement of their course through to the date of the award (by the end of October of the year of application); and
Have submitted an accurate and complete application, along with supporting documentation by the September 30 deadline.

*A “dependant” is defined as a person who is a natural or adopted child, stepchild, foster child or child of a common-law spouse who depends on someone else for support. If the person is over 21 years of age, they must be in full-time attendance at an accredited institute or enrolling in that institute during the current calendar year.

Application

The online application for this scholarship is available here as of July 1 of each year:

Apply for a UFCW Local 247 Iorio Scholarship

Application Deadline is September 30

Interested applicants may also download and email their application forms and supporting documents (see below) to scholarships@ufcw247.com. Upon request to scholarships@ufcw247.com, we are happy to provide hard copies of the application to prospective applicants via Canada Post.

Supporting Documents

As part of your application, by September 30 of your application year, you must provide proof of actual registration in at least nine (9) credits (3 courses) of post-secondary education courses in a degree or diploma program at a recognized university or community college in Canada. Proof will be any of the following:

a copy of class schedule (with Student & School name on schedule); or
a receipt confirming tuition fees have been paid for a program with a start date in the current year (receipt must show Student & School name and list of classes); or
a letter from the university or college confirming current full-time registration. Letters of admission or tuition invoices will not be accepted. Applicants must be enrolled and registered in an accredited institute as a full-time student in the same calendar year that the scholarship is awarded.

Please note that we do not review applications until after September 30. We will contact successful scholarship recipients and notify them of their award near the end of October.

UFCW local 247 EDDY EDUCATION GRANT - $750 for Part-Time Studies

UFCW Local 247’s scholarship and education grant programs are named in honour of two outstanding leaders who were the heart and soul of the UFCW Local 247 Training Centre for many years.

Nolan Eddy, alongside his long-time colleague Denyse Iorio, was steadfast in his commitment to the goals of our hugely successful training centre programs, which benefited hundreds of participants throughout the years. Nolan retired in 2021, and while his contributions are missed, his legacy remains.

The Eddy Education Grants, always together and alongside the Iorio Scholarships, honour the legacy of two UFCW Local 247 advocates who believed that giving working people access to education is essential in building a strong union and a better world.

UFCW Local 247 awards up to 8 Eddy Education Grants of $750 each year.

Eligibility Requirements

Successful candidates must:

Be an active member of UFCW Local 247;
Be enrolled in continuing studies or academic upgrading on a part-time basis (i.e. registered in at least 3 but no more than 8 credits worth of courses for the term);
Have maintained continuously active UFCW Local 247 membership from the six (6) month period immediately prior to the commencement of their course through to the date of the award (by the end of October of the year of application); and
Have applied for the grant and provided supporting documentation to verify enrollment by the September 30 deadline.

Application

The online application for this scholarship is available here as of July 1 of each year:

Apply for a UFCW Local 247 Eddy Education Grant

Application Deadline is September 30

Supporting Documents

As part of your application, you must provide proof of actual registration in at least three (3) credits (1 course) but no more than eight (8) credits worth of courses in a degree or diploma course program at a recognized university or community college in Canada. Please submit one of the following to support your application:

a copy of class schedule (with Student & School name on schedule); or
a receipt confirming tuition fees have been paid for a program with a start date in the current year (receipt must show Student & School name and list of classes); or
a letter from the university or college confirming current full-time registration. Letters of admission or tuition invoices will not be accepted. Applicants must be enrolled and registered in an accredited institute as a full-time student in the same calendar year that the scholarship is awarded.

Please note that we do not review applications until after September 30. We will contact successful scholarship recipients and notify them of their award near the end of October.

UFCW CANADA BEGGS, DOWLING, MATHIEU SCHOLARSHIP - $1,000

Each year UFCW Canada offers 18 UFCW Canada – BDM Scholarships worth $1,000 each to active members and their family members for post-secondary study.

The UFCW Canada – BDM Scholarship program is named in honour of three outstanding UFCW Canada leaders: William Beggs, Fred Dowling, and Roméo Mathieu.

If you are a UFCW Canada member in good standing, and the student is attending full-time studies at a Canadian university, college, or other recognized post-secondary institution, then you, your spouse and children are eligible to apply for the union scholarship.

Applying for the UFCW Canada – BDM Scholarship program is easy. You don’t have to be an A+ student.

All it requires is a passion for learning, enrollment at a post-secondary institution, and just a few minutes to complete the online application:

Apply for a UFCW Canada BDM Scholarship

UFCW International Scholarship - $8,000

The UFCW is about workers coming together to build better lives for themselves. It is about creating opportunity. That is why each year the UFCW Charity Foundation awards several scholarships of up to $8,000 each to UFCW members or their unmarried dependents under the age of 20.

Past scholarship winners have gone on to make significant contributions to society and to the UFCW—entering a range of fields, including public service, medicine, law, business, and teaching. Many have returned to the UFCW as staffers, organizers, and community activists who contribute to our mission.

The application window for this scholarship is between on different dates generally between February and May of each year. Set yourself a reminder to check back here and apply here:

Apply for a UFCW International Scholarship