Scholarship information
The Annual AFL-CIO Scholarship and Labor Education Program is in its 66th year. Through the program, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO and affiliated unions are proud to award financial resources to high school students pursuing trade union programs or college/university study. The Massachusetts AFL-CIO administers half a million dollars of scholarship awards on behalf of unions and labor councils throughout the state. Individual awards range from $500 to $16,000.
Registration for the 2023-2024 Scholarship Program is closed.
The test itself will be administered on February 5, 2024 through February 9, 2024.
In order to be eligible for a scholarship, students must take the Labor History Exam. The Massachusetts AFL-CIO publishes a Labor History Study Guide, which covers a broad range of the history of working people organizing for justice in the United States. This interactive website study tool, features supplemental materials and quizzes to test your knowledge.
The Labor History Exam is administered once per year, and awardees are determined by the Scholarship Committee of the MA AFL-CIO. The Scholarship Committee consists of current and retired union members.
All Massachusetts high school seniors are eligible to compete for certain awards. Additionally, students with a family or personal union affiliation are eligible for awards given by their family’s specific local union or central labor council. About 2,000 students take the exam annually to compete for a scholarship.
For more information, you can read the 2023 Scholarship FAQ.
You can view a list of available awards and their criteria here.