UNA encourages students to apply for organization’s 2023-2024 scholarships
PARSIPPANY, NJ – Each year, the Ukrainian National Association (UNA) offers special scholarships and monetary awards for its student members who are enrolled in colleges and universities. The deadline for applications for the 2023-2024 academic year is June 1, 2023, and the UNA encourages its student members to take advantage of this very important fraternal benefit.
In the more than 129 years of its existence, the UNA has always supported young people in their pursuit of higher education. In fact, the first UNA scholarships were actually small stipends awarded to promising students to help them attain a brighter future. A formal scholarship program was established in 1964. Since then, the UNA has awarded scholarships to several thousand young men and women.
The special scholarships awarded by the UNA – but funded by generous and altruistic benefactors – include the following for undergraduate students:
• Joseph and Dora Galandiuk Scholarship ($2,000) for students in the sciences or accounting;
• Orest and Lidia Bilous Family Foundation Scholarship ($2,000) for students studying political science;
• Dmytro and Slava Jarosewycz Memorial Scholarship ($1,000) for students excelling in their studies;
• Stefan Hawrysz Scholarship ($1,000) for students from one of the UNA’s Philadelphia District branches;
• Maria and Taras Slevinsky Scholarship ($1,000) for students in nursing; and
• Danylo Andrii Demidenko Scholarship ($500) for students in the medical field.
In addition, the UNA sponsors five UNA Heritage Scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each, for undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in either full- or part-time programs. These scholarships – which recognize academic achievement and community involvement – were established in 2019 to celebrate the UNA’s 125th anniversary.
The Orest and Lidia Bilous Family Foundation Scholarship was established in December 2022, becoming the newest addition to the UNA’s scholarship program. With that addition, the UNA has 11 special scholarships in addition to the regular monetary awards based on the applicant’s year of study. These are granted upon completion of the senior year of high school and during the freshman, sophomore and junior years of college.
Incoming freshmen receive the lowest award amounts, while seniors receive the highest. Amounts awarded by the UNA Scholarship Committee depend on the availability of UNA funds in any given year.
Last year, the UNA Scholarship Committee recognized 43 students from the United States and Canada with special scholarships or monetary awards.
In order to apply for a UNA scholarship or award, a student must have a current UNA insurance policy with a minimum amount of $5,000 (term policies excluded). The most common policies are Endowment at Age 18 and the 20-Year Endowment. These policies are usually purchased for children by their parents, grandparents or aunts and uncles.
To learn more about the UNA’s scholarship program and eligibility requirements, or to download an application, readers may visit the following link on the UNA website: unainc.org/benefits/scholarships/.
It is important to note that the UNA also offers a Coverdell Education Savings Account (ESA), another common vehicle for academic funding, whereby up to $2,000 per year can be deposited into an account with tax-free growth, provided the funds are withdrawn and used for studies.
For more information about UNA insurance policies, endowments, annuities, IRAs and the ESA, readers may contact their branch secretary or the UNA directly at 800-253-9862.
