Students across the world are encouraged to apply for the scholarship
program before April 30
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- (Business Wire)
The Western
Union Foundation is now accepting applications for its WU
Scholars Program* for the second year in a row. This global
scholarship program is focused on supporting students around the world
who are pursuing a post-secondary education in the areas of science,
technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), business and
entrepreneurship.
“Education opens the door to economic opportunity,” said Jacqueline
Molnar, Western Union Foundation Board Chair. “The Western Union
Foundation is committed to helping people all over the world gain access
to job-focused education, which in turn can translate into better
careers and better pay.”
Students are selected as WU Scholars based on their accomplishments and
personal goals related to the program’s three pillars: perseverance,
aspiration, and community. Students receive USD $2,500 (or the local
currency equivalent) as a contribution toward their tuition or school
fees at the accredited post-secondary institution where they are
enrolled. To apply, students must complete the application, available at www.WUScholars.org.
Applications will be accepted through April 30, 2018 at 11:59pm EDT.
Selected applicants will be notified in July. Click here
to watch the WU Scholars video.
The WU Scholars Program is part of the Western Union Foundation’s
mission to connect underserved populations to the global economy through
education. The Foundation works to advance educational opportunities for
women, youth, migrants and refugees through funding NGOs, thought
leadership, employee donations and volunteerism. According to the UNESCO
Global Education Monitoring Report, education increases earnings by
roughly 10 percent per each additional year of schooling.1Research
has also shown that students who graduate with STEM or business degrees
receive starting salaries that are on average higher than their non-STEM
or business peers.2
“We recognize that education is one of the most powerful tools we can
help provide to people across the globe,” said Elizabeth Roscoe,
Executive Director of the Western Union Foundation. “Last year’s WU
Scholars class was spectacular, and we are very excited to see the
caliber of applicants this year who aim to use their education to make a
positive impact in their communities and beyond.”
In 2017, the WU
Scholars Program awarded 174 scholarships to post-secondary students
in 65 countries. Sixty-eight percent of recipients were female, and the
scholars represented more than 150 colleges and universities across the
globe. Selected students from last year aim to help solve major global
challenges, including building better infrastructure and improving
access to technology.
As part of the WU Scholars program, the Western Union Foundation has
pledged to award a minimum of 100 scholarships, along with Western Union
Agent contributions. Western Union Agents and business partners can
sponsor students in their region and receive a dollar-for-dollar
contribution matched by the Western Union Foundation. Agent sponsors for
the 2018 program include: GraceKennedy Financial Services, Vimenca, Aman
Exchange, Community Financial Service Centers and Pay-O-Matic. In 2017,
Agents contributed more than USD $200,000 to the WU Scholars program.
* The Program is administered and operated by the Institute of
International Education, Inc. (IIE), a US private not-for-profit leader
in the international exchange of people and ideas.
1 UNESCO
Global Education Monitoring Report, 2016
2
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, January 2017
About the Western Union Foundation
The Western Union Foundation believes that education is one of the
surest pathways to economic opportunity. Through collaborations with
NGOs around the world, the Foundation has embarked on a five-year
mission to connect 50,000 migrants, refugees, women and young people to
the global economy through demand-driven skills training and workforce
enablement programs by 2020. The Foundation also offers a global
scholarship program that helps put a post-secondary education in reach
for in-need students studying in the STEM fields and business. To date,
more than $113 million has been given to fund projects affecting more
than 800,000 people in 137 countries across the globe, including
humanitarian relief for communities in crisis. The Western Union
Foundation is a separate charitable corporation that is tax-exempt under
§501(c)(3) of the US Internal Revenue Code, and receives support from
The Western Union Company, its employees, agents and business partners.
Contributions to the Foundation are tax-deductible for US income tax
purposes. To learn more, visit www.westernunionfoundation.org
or follow us on Twitter @TheWUFoundation.
WU-G
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180420005074/en/
Contacts:
The Western Union Company
Rachel Rogala, +1 (720) 332-2686
Global
Corporate Communications
Rachel.Rogala@westernunion.com
Source: The Western Union Company
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