Scholarships + Reimbursements

Scholarships

UFCW 951 Dave Way Student Athlete Scholarship for 2024 ($5,000)

Dave Way retired as UFCW 951’s Secretary-Treasurer in 2023 after over 50 years of devotion to the labor movement. Prior to UFCW 951, Dave was a fierce competitor in several sports as a high school and college athlete.

The Dave Way Student Athlete Scholarship awards one student-athlete a one-time $5,000 scholarship. This award is for high school seniors graduating in the Spring/Summer of 2024 (applicants do not need to play a sport at the college they plan to attend).

The scholarship application with essay and two letters of recommendation must be received by the UFCW 951 Foundation by Friday, May 31, 2024. You can view eligibility requirements and apply online by clicking the blue “Apply Online” button, below.

Apply Online

UFCW 951 College Scholarship for 2024-2025 ($2,000)

For over a decade, the UFCW 951 Foundation has been helping ease the cost of attending college for UFCW 951 members and their families. Fifteen $2,000 Scholarships will be awarded in 2024. Scholarships will be awarded to eligible members, their spouse, children, or their grandchildren (under the age of 25) attending a college, university, community college or recognized trade school.

The deadline to apply has passed. Check back soon for the 2025-2026 College Scholarship application!

Reimbursements

UFCW 951 Utility Reimbursement Program ($150)

We have proudly offered the Utility Reimbursement Program every year since 2016. Utilities like electricity, water, natural gas and propane are some of the most important expenses for families and individuals, but often the most difficult to afford.

The UFCW 951 Foundation Utility Reimbursement Program will award $12,000 in 2024 to financially assist members with these essential living expenses.

Winners of this award will receive a $150 reimbursement for utility bills paid in 2024. Twenty winners will be selected quarterly during January, April, July and October.

You can view eligibility requirements and apply online by clicking the blue “Apply Online” button, below.

Apply Online

UFCW 951 Family Enrichment Reimbursement Program ($100)

If one or more of your dependent children or non-dependent grandchildren are involved in an extracurricular or community program that supplements their core education in some way, the UFCW 951 Foundation Family Enrichment Scholarship can help with associated costs. Eligible programs include, but are not limited to: sports, scouting, music and arts, dance class, school clubs, lessons, tutoring, etc.

$2,000 in Family Enrichment Scholarships will be awarded this year. Five scholarships of $100 will be awarded in each of the following months: January, April, July and October. Scholarships will be awarded as reimbursements for participation costs paid in 2024.

Any costs directly related to your dependent child(ren)’s or grandchild(ren)’s participation in an extracurricular, community or supplemental program are eligible for reimbursement.

UFCW 951 members can find more information and fill out an application online by clicking the blue “Apply Online” button, below.

Apply Online

UFCW 951 Child Care Reimbursement Program ($750)

Your union realizes that working parents face numerous challenges as they juggle the demands of work and family. To help ease the financial strain that childcare expenses can put on a family’s budget, your union is offering child care reimbursements to its members for the tenth year in a row.

The 12 winners of this award in 2024 will each receive a $750 reimbursement for childcare expenses. Three winners will be selected in the months of January, April, July and October.
Eligibility requirements, along with details on how the scholarships are awarded can be found on the application below.

Eligibility requirements, along with details on how the scholarships are awarded can be found on the line to apply, below.

Apply Online

UFCW 951 Medical Reimbursement Program ($250)

Working families in America face unique financial challenges, and UFCW 951 is dedicated to establishing programs that address the needs of all members.

Since 2018, the Foundation has been offering medical reimbursement awards for qualifying medical bills. Dental and vision expenses may also be covered by this reimbursement. The UFCW 951 Foundation Medical Reimbursement Program will award $10,000 in 2024 to financially assist members with these essential living expenses.

Winners of this award will receive a $250 award to reimburse them for qualifying medical bills they have paid in 2024. Ten winners will be selected quarterly during January, April, July and October.

Eligibility requirements, along with details on how the scholarships are awarded can be found on the application linked below.

Apply Online

UFCW 951 Education Reimbursement Program ($500)

In addition to the fifteen $2,000 College Scholarships awarded annually, the Education reimbursement will again be available to our members and their families looking to enhance their education in 2024.

The UFCW 951 Foundation will select five Education Reimbursement winners in January, April, July and October. The $500 quarterly scholarships will be awarded directly to the recipients for qualifying educational expenses paid in 2024. Fees incurred to attend college, a trade school, take language courses or get your GED all qualify.

Eligible expenses include course fees, room and board, parking, testing fees, books and other education related expenses.

Eligibility requirements, along with details on how the scholarships are awarded can be found on the application linked here.

Apply Online

NOTE: This application is for the $500 quarterly Education Reimbursement only. Members should see the scholarship section of this page for the $2,000 College Scholarship application.

UFCW 951 Housing Expense Reimbursement Program ($500)

The UFCW 951 Foundation Housing Expense Reimbursement Program will award $20,000 in 2024 to financially assist members with essential housing expenses.

Winners of this award will receive a $500 award to reimburse them for qualifying housing expenses they have paid in 2024. Ten winners will be selected quarterly during January, April, July and October.

Eligible expenses include rent and mortgage payments, security deposits, property tax payments, and renters or homeowners’ insurance premiums.

Eligibility requirements, along with details on how the scholarships are awarded can be found on the application linked below.

Apply Online

UFCW 951 Transportation Expense Reimbursement Program ($250)

The UFCW 951 Foundation Transportation Expense Reimbursement Program will award $10,000 in transportation reimbursements to members in 2024 to help offset the financial impact of the rising cost of gas.

Winners of this award will receive a $250 award to reimburse them for qualifying transportation expenses they have paid in 2024. Ten winners will be selected quarterly during January, April, July and October.

Eligible expenses are those which are necessary for the member to maintain employment. For personal vehicle expenses, the vehicle must be in the member’s name or in the name of a roommate, family member, partner or other member of the household, as long as that vehicle is used to transport the member to and from work. Covered transportation expenses include automobile payments, insurance premiums or deductibles, maintenance and repair bills, vehicle registration fees, gas, bus fares, and rideshare service fees.

Eligibility requirements, along with details on how the scholarships are awarded can be found on the application linked below.

Apply Online

Adam Latunski

Meijer #209

Adam Latunski

Meijer #209

“My union representative went above and beyond to make sure that I was getting the representation I deserved. I have reached out three separate times, in which each time my representative and I worked together and resolved the issue almost instantaneously, while also educating me on other rights I can take advantage of while being a union member.”

James Pontiac

Meijer #279

James Pontiac

Meijer #279

“UFCW 951 has benefitted me and my family, from a good starting wage to potentially getting health insurance again.”

Ashleigh Abdiel

Meijer #312

Ashleigh Abdiel

Meijer #312

“The union is a great resource that protects our rights. They work hard to negotiate with Meijer and other big businesses to protect our wages and benefits. During Covid, the union fought hard for hazard pay for the workers.”

Rachel Proux

Meijer #250

Rachel Proux

Meijer #250

Education Reimbursement Winner
“The representatives supporting my mother with the assistance of the other members of the union standing by her side throughout her 14 years [of employment], has allowed my family to live without fear of losing her job without warning.”

International Scholarship

UFCW International Charity Foundation Scholarship

Every year the UFCW Charity Foundation offers scholarships to UFCW members or their immediate family members who want to further their education and demonstrate a commitment to their communities and to UFCW values.  Since 1958, the fund has distributed more than $2 million in scholarships.

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.

To get more information about the scholarship, the rules for applying and more, visit the Charity Foundation website here.

Union Plus Scholarship

Union Plus Scholarship

Since 1991, the Union Plus Scholarship Program has awarded more than $5.4 million to students of working families who want to begin or continue their post-secondary education. More than 3,800 families have benefited from our commitment to higher education.

The Union Plus Scholarship Program is offered through the Union Plus Education Foundation. Current and retired members of UFCW 951, their spouses and their dependent children (as defined by IRS regulations) are eligible if there is at least one year of continuous union membership by the applicant, applicant’s spouse or parent. The one-year minimum must be satisfied by May 31 of the scholarship year.

Amounts awarded range from $500 to $4,000 as one-time cash awards for study beginning in the Fall of 2024. Students may re-apply each year.

The deadline for the Union Plus Scholarship has now passed. Winners for the 2024 Scholarship will be announced the first week of June. The 2025 application will be available in mid-June. Go here for more information, and to view a list of winners from 2023.