Dear Valued Member,

We are very excited to announce the launch of our new UMCU Youth Scholarship program available to high school seniors.

What is the UMCU Youth Scholarship program? UMCU will award five (5) $1,000 scholarships to eligible high school seniors based on their qualifications and responses to the questions on the application. The funds can be used towards tuition and/or other educational expenses at an accredited college or technical school in the United States. Find out more details here.

What makes a student eligible? If the student is a UMCU member in good standing and is graduating from high school in the spring of 2022, they can apply. Or, if the student’s parent(s) or guardian is a UMCU member in good standing, but the student has not yet become a member in their own standing, the student is eligible to submit an application. However, if selected, the student will be required to become a UMCU member before the scholarship award is granted.

What are the important dates? The application portal is open from December 1, 2021 through February 28, 2022.

How will students submit their applications? All applications must be submitted online (no paper applications) through a secure document portal – the link to access the application can be found here:

The link to the scholarship portal will also be housed on our website’s Financial Wellness page and be included with each reminder email we send out.

What does the application entail? After a few identifying questions, the bulk of the application is comprised of seven essay questions for students to answer focused on areas such as:

• Community involvement & work experience(s)
• Academic achievements
• Extracurriculars
• Plans after high school

Is a letter of reference required? Yes, each applicant will be asked to attach via the portal one letter of support/reference. The letter should be between 400-600 words in length and come from an individual not part of the student’s family - examples would include teachers, counselors, coaches, employers, neighbors, faith-based/non-faith-based leaders, and mentors.

Is there a question on the application related to financial education? Yes! To help in that area, all students are highly encouraged to request a free copy of our valuable Financial Major League educational book “O.M.G. - The Official Money Guide for Teenagers.” Book requests can be sent at any time to education@umcu.org.

How will the applications be judged? There will be a seven-member committee comprised of UMCU Representatives to review, score, and ultimately determine the five (5) winners.

When will the winners be announced? By no later than the end of March 2022, with winners receiving their awards in April 2022.

Have additional questions? Please email education@umcu.org.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

UMCU