Union Plus has awarded $150,000 in scholarships to 129 students representing 44 unions, including one winner representing ALPA, in the 2012 Union Plus Scholarship program. In this 20th anniversary year of the scholarship program, more than 5,600 applications were received from union members and families in all 50 states. This year’s ALPA winner is:

Hayden Amaro of Hayden, Idaho, whose father, John Amaro, is a member of ALPA ASTAR Council 17, has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship.

“Education is a core value for the American union worker,” says Leslie Tolf, president of Union Privilege, the organization that provides the Union Plus benefits. “With rising tuitions, the Union Plus Scholarship program can make all the difference in enabling union members and their families to further their education.”

Hayden, a journalism major at Western Washington University, views his gift for writing not only as a pastime and a career, but as an opportunity to do some good in the world. “I have a passion for politics, social justice, labor unions, and for bringing about historical change,” says this two-time scholarship winner. As a talented, truth-seeking, and unbiased journalist, Hayden will have the opportunity to not only belong to a union but also help fulfill the ideals of one: using the power of the written word to dispel negative stereotypes, expose social injustice, and help people to achieve a more meaningful life by spreading tolerance and understanding.

Union Plus Scholarships are granted to students attending a two-year college, four-year college, graduate school, or a recognized technical or trade school. Since starting the program in 1991, Union Plus has awarded more than $3.3 million in educational funding to more than 2,200 union members, spouses, and dependent children. Recipients are selected based on academic ability, social awareness, financial need, and appreciation of labor.

In addition to the Union Plus Scholarships, the following benefits help union families afford higher education:

• Scholarships to help union members and leaders finish their degrees with an affordable, flexible, and convenient online program at the National Labor College.

• Discounts of 15 to 60 percent on college and graduate school test-preparation courses from The Princeton Review. Discount includes classroom, online, and private tutoring for the SAT, ACT, GMAT, LSAT, GRE, and MCAT, as well as college affordability and admissions online courses. Visit http://unionplus.org/collegeprep or call 1-888-243-7737.

Visit http://unionplus.org/education for applications and benefit eligibility.

Union Plus programs also include mortgages, insurance protection, and money-saving offers on flowers, car rentals, and AT&T wireless service. Union members can visit http://unionplus.org for more information.