Refugees Connecting Our Community Union Scholarship

APPLICATION FOR 

REFUGEES CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY UNION SCHOLARSHIP

YEAR 2025-2026

SCHOLARSHIP DETAILS

Provided by: A. Ray Olpin University Union

Value: $3,000

Number of awards: 1

Application deadline: Sunday February 16, 2025 by 11:59pm (MST)

Scholarship Disbursed: Fall 2025

PURPOSE OF THE UNION SCHOLARSHIP FUND

The purpose of the Union Scholarship Fund is to support the academic achievement of students representing a wide array of backgrounds and experiences; the students are currently attending or plan to attend the University of Utah. The fund promotes the retention and completion of students who demonstrate financial need and a commitment to the mission of the Union. Through this fund, the Union and its scholarship partners recognize students who are committed to bettering the communities they serve.

REFUGEES CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY UNION SCHOLARSHIP PURPOSE

The Union Scholarship Fund provides one (1) scholarship of $3,000 to assist refugee students in accomplishing their academic goals. The purpose is to identify and recognize refugee students who serves their refugee community and whose community service have or will contribute to the overall mission of the Union.
The Refugees Connecting our Community Scholarship also values the importance of community and defines community engagement as the process of working collaboratively with community groups and individuals to address issues that impact the well-being of those groups. For purposes of this scholarship and application, we also have a broad interpretation of the definition of community to include the University of Utah, Salt Lake City area, or your own neighborhood.
  

This scholarship is open to refugee students and students with refugee backgrounds. Eligible students for this scholarship must either fall under the legal definition of a refugee as “someone who has been forced to flee their country because of persecution, war or violence” or have family members who are refugees. We extend the understanding of a refugee to anyone who has experienced the intergenerational effects of the refugee diaspora. This means that a student may not not fall under the legal definition of a refugee but have family members who initially came to the United States as refugees. 

Previous recipients of the scholarship are welcome to apply, with preference given to new applicants/recipients. 

ELIGIBILITY

• This scholarship is open to students (undergrad and graduate) currently enrolled at the University of Utah as well as incoming students anticipated to enroll for the 2025 fall semester
• Candidates must take a minimum of 12 undergraduate or 9 graduate credits at the University of Utah for the 2024 fall semester.
• Candidates must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 from the University of Utah or prior institution. Current high school students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5.
• Applicants must be able to describe their financial situation and its impact through the essay
• Many students who are selected to receive a University scholarship after May 12, 2015, are required by state law to certify under penalty of perjury that they are eligible to receive the scholarship as a U.S. citizen or a citizen of another country who is lawfully present within the United States. Students who have both graduated from a recognized Utah high school and who are awarded a scholarship funded by a private donor are not required to certify their lawful presence before receiving a privately funded scholarship. (This scholarship is a privately funded scholarship.)
• Students who are required to certify their lawful presence in the United States must also be submitted to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for verification of their lawful presence within the United States. Once the University submits information to DHS for verification this federal agency may have the legal right to share information with other government agencies. If you do not know whether you are lawfully present within the United States you should seek the advice of an immigration attorney before accepting a University Scholarship that requires certification and verification.

 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The recipient of this scholarship is expected to attend the annual Union Scholarship Celebration event during an evening on Thursday, September 18, 2025. The celebration promotes the scholarship on a community level and will be the time when the recipient is publicly recognized and awarded.

SCHOLARSHIP CONTACT

David Leon

Student Services Manager

University of Utah, A. Ray Olpin Union Building

200 S. Central Campus Dr. Room 235 Salt Lake City, UT 84112

dleon@union.utah.edu

(801) 585-9709