Faculty, classified staff unions announce scholarships

Unions representing the faculty and classified employees at Youngstown State University are seeking applications for two separate scholarships:

YSU-OEA, representing nearly 380 full-service faculty, is accepting applications for the Academic YSU-OEA Union Heritage Scholarship.  Deadline is March 1. Current YSU sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students who are affiliated with organized labor are encouraged to apply. Students who are affiliated with organized labor include those who currently are or were members of a union for two or more years or who have a family member who currently is or was a member of a union for five years.

Applications may be obtained online at http://cfweb.cc.ysu.edu/finaid/scholar/sch_data.cfm?scholar_ID=558. Members of the YSU-OEA’s Executive Board will review applications and select the recipient of the scholarship in the spring of 2017.

“We are both pleased and proud to offer this scholarship to a student who has ties to the labor movement,” YSU-OEA President Annette Burden said. “People who have direct ties to the labor movement have a unique understanding of the vital role unions play in in our community, state, and nation. We created the scholarship to ensure that students who appreciate the benefits of union membership have the opportunity to add their perspective to classroom discussions during their years at YSU.”

Applicants must also meet the following GPA requirements: Sophomores, 2.75 or higher, 31 semester hours completed; Juniors, 3.0 or higher, 62 semester hours completed; Seniors, 3.25 or higher, 93 semester hours completed; Grad students, 3.5 or higher. Burden noted that the scholarship is need-based, so applicants must have completed and submitted a Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA form to YSU’s Financial Aid Office in order to be considered. For more information, please contact YSU-OEA President Dr. Annette Burden at 330-647-4435.

YSU-ACE, representing nearly 280 active secretaries, administrative assistants, groundskeepers, maintenance workers, parking attendants, computer analysts, programmers, tech support, and other staff members, will be awarding scholarships to current full-time students employed in student positions at YSU. Applicants must have completed at least 30 semester hours at YSU and have documented financial need. They must submit an essay discussing the value of his/her employment at YSU and two recommendation letters from YSU-ACE members. The application can be found on the YSU Financial Aid & Scholarship website under “YSU ACE” or at ysuace.ohea.us.
“As an organization, we appreciate and acknowledge the importance of education. We are here to serve the students and this is a great way to give back to the students and the university,” said Connie Frisby, administrative assistant in the Department of Computer Science & Information Services and YSU-ACE president.
For more information, contact Anthony Spano at 330-941-2669 or avspano@ysu.edu. Donations can be sent to the ACE Scholarship Fund at the Associated School Employees Credit Union. The YSU ACE Scholarship was established in 2003 as an endowed scholarship invested through the YSU Foundation.