SMWIA Scholarship Program

 

The advancement of education throughout the unionized sector of the Sheet Metal Industry must receive the highest priority to assure full participation in an expanding world economy. In support of that objective, the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Scholarship Fund awards scholarships in the amount of $4,000 per year for up to four years for full-time undergraduate study at any accredited college or university. Please note that only qualified applicants from locals that participate by collectively bargaining to contribute or to authorize check-offs at one-cent per hour worked are eligible for the four-year scholarships. Other applicants are considered for the Scholarship Foundation’s one-year $2,000 scholarships for undergraduate study.

 

A Selection Committee comprised of an esteemed group of union, academic and civic leaders makes all selections for the awards. This group is independent of the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association and makes its determination of scholarship awards after thoroughly considering each applicant’s academic records, recommendations and a written essay.

The Committee’s annual selections are published in the Sheet Metal Workers’ Journal following announcement of the scholarship awards.

 

In general, eligibility for a scholarship under the Fund or Foundation requires that an applicant be an active SMWIA member, a covered employee or a dependent spouse or child of an SMWIA member or covered employee. The applicant must also be a full-time student or be accepted to be a full-time student at an accredited college or university. The scholarship may be used for any field of study by UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS only. 

 

Grandchildren are not eligible.

 

FIRST: Obtain an Application Request Form from the Scholarship office. Application Request Forms can be downloaded for printing or can be completed online and returned to the Scholarship office by email. They are also printed in the September/October issue of The Journal. The Scholarship office will review the information on the Request Form and will mail the appropriate application to the address provided by the applicant.

 

NEXT: Upon receipt of the Application, the applicant must provide the following information:

1)      Information on the SMWIA member and applicant. The applicant must provide the Fund’s representatives with full information on their or their family member’s SMWIA membership, including International Association membership number, the number of the local union of which he or she is a member, and if different, the local union in whose jurisdiction he or she was employed during the preceding calendar year.

2)      A high school transcript stating the unweighted grade point average. Transcripts are available from the high school administration/guidance office and should be enclosed with the application in an officially sealed envelope.

3)      The results of either the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT).   The taking of one of these tests is necessary in order to be eligible for a scholarship under the Scholarship programs. The College Board administers the SAT and the American College Testing Program administers the ACT. Applicants are responsible for registering for the tests and the payment of required fees.

 

The results of the SAT or the ACT should be reported directly by the testing services to the Selection Committee of the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Scholarship Fund. This can be done by filling the appropriate codes on the test registration forms. If the student has already taken the SAT/ACT prior to requesting an application from the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Scholarship, we will accept SAT/ACT scores printed on official high school transcripts. For the SAT, the applicant should write the SMWIA code number 4187 in Item 11. For the ACT, the applicant should enter the SMWIA code number 4187 in Block U.

 

If the applicant is currently enrolled in college, the college transcript is acceptable and is preferred in lieu of SAT/ACT and High School grades.

4)      An essay on the importance of the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association to the applicant’s family.

5)      A letter of recommendation on behalf of the applicant enclosed with the application.

 

Applications and related materials must be postmarked no later than March 1. Applications and related material postmarked after that date will not be considered.

 

Certain schools have agreed to work with the SMWIA by offering supportive grants to the Scholarship Fund recipients. If accepted to a participating school and approved for a scholarship award under the Fund, students might be able to increase the amount of financial assistance available to them for the academic year. Those requesting application forms will also be sent a current list of participating schools.

 

Download and complete an Application Request Form. Return the completed Application to: