$400,000 in scholarships now available to low-income international students and other disadvantaged youth pursuing their degrees in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, and throughout Europe.
The Western Union Foundation believes education is a key pathway to success, yet it is out of reach for many. Our mission is to provide the training and skills needed to enter and thrive in today’s workforce. That’s why we launched the WU Scholars program in 2017, to provide scholarships to typically underserved populations that face daunting barriers to access, so that they too can gain a higher education and have a better chance of supporting themselves, their families, and their communities. Since we launched, we have helped more than 500 students achieve this goal.
We are continuing to support such students in 2021 through a $400,000 fund, that will award a minimum of 40 scholarships of up to $10,000 each to promising young students in their final or penultimate year of their degree program. Students will be selected based on their academic standing, personal goals, and level of financial need.
As part of this year’s program the Foundation will be rolling out two different scholarship opportunities as part of the overall fund. The first, is an evolution of our evergreen WU Global Scholars initiative that targets international students from low-income countries studying in Australia, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom – some of the world’s leading destinations for international scholars. The second, is a renewal our Project Finish Line initiative, launched last year in partnership with Western Union’s Black Advisory Council, to support BIPOC students in the U.S., the majority studying at Historically Black Colleges and Universities in various STEM and business fields.
The Western Union Foundation is again working with the Institute for International Education (IIE) to accept nominations, select awardees, and distribute the scholarships. IIE is accepting nominations for the 2021 WU Scholars program through October 15th, 2021. In order to be invited to formally apply, students must be nominated by a representative from their higher education institution. Eligibility requirements include:
WU Global Scholarship:
- Must be an international student already enrolled in the 2021-22 Academic Year (or a corresponding timeframe for universities with other semester systems) and preferably residing in one of the following countries of study: US, UK, Europe, Singapore, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand.
- This program is open to students in their final or penultimate year of a full-time undergraduate (Bachelor’s) degree program at an accredited higher education institution in any of the countries/regions listed above.
- Must be able to demonstrate financial need.
- Must be in good academic standing, have high ambitions, and a demonstrated commitment to their chosen field of study.
- Nomination forms are available here .
Project Finish Line:
- Must be a student that identifies as black, indigenous, or a person of color currently enrolled in their final (senior) or penultimate (junior) year of their undergraduate or graduate degree program at an accredited College or University in the United States.
- Must be able to demonstrate financial need.
- Must be in good academic standing, have high ambitions, and a demonstrated commitment to a STEM or business field of study.
- Nomination forms are available here .
Interested in becoming a WU Scholar and joining an amazing group of young students around the world? Learn more about some of our recent scholarship winners, like Sofia and Anisah.
For any additional information, contact us at WUFoundation@iie.org .
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