Scholarship and Labor Education Program
The Annual AFL-CIO Scholarship and Labor Education Program is in its 65th 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. You can view a list of available awards and their criteria here.
Registration for the 2024-2025 Scholarship Program is Open.
Students: Click here to register for the exam.
Exam Proctors: Click here to list yourself as your school's primary contact for the scholarship program.
Click below to download the MA AFL-CIO Scholarship Exam study guide. The guide was last updated in 2020. Please click the link below to download a copy of the study materials. Please make sure to visit our website to use the virtual lessons, quizzes and more!
Massachusetts AFL-CIO Exam Study Guide
Interactive exam website studying tool click here.
Key Dates for 2024-2025
- December 20, 2024: Last day to register. All applications must be received by 5pm to be eligible to take the scholarship exam.
- February 3, 2024-February 7, 2025: Scholarship exam is administered at high schools across Massachusetts. Schools will administer the exam online within the timeframe provided. Students must check with their exam proctor for testing time and location.
In order to be eligible for a scholarship, students must be a senior in high school and 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.
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.
Read more about application and eligibility on our FAQ page linked here. If you have additional questions, contact Scholarship Coordinator Carla Connolly at cconnolly@massaflcio.org.