William A. Lee Memorial Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Chicago Federation of Labor

Introduction
Each year the Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL) presents ten William A. Lee Memorial Scholarships of $2,000 each. Five awards are reserved for winners of the Academic Competition and five are awarded through a Random Drawing. Applicants must select either the Academic Competition or the Random Drawing; entering both categories will disqualify the student from both. The scholarship was renamed in 1985 in honor of William A. Lee, the CFL’s longest-serving president, who dedicated more than 60 years to labor and community service, including 38 years with the CFL.

Key Dates and Deadlines
- Deadline: All materials must be emailed to scholarship@chicagolabor.org and received by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 20, 2026. Submit every component together in a single email.
- Winners will be notified by email in April 2026.
- Scholarship presentation: Spring 2026 (exact date will be set by the Scholarship Committee after winners are chosen). Award recipients must attend the presentation to receive their checks.

Award Details
- Number of scholarships: 10 total
- 5 Academic Competition winners
- 5 Random Drawing winners
- Amount: $2,000 each
- Use: Awards may be used at any accredited college or university in the United States.
- Payment: Awards are issued by check.

Eligibility Requirements
- Must be a high school senior graduating in spring 2026.
- Either the applicant or a parent must be a member in good standing of a CFL-affiliated union. To verify affiliation, call 312-222-1000.
- Applicants must choose one entry route only: Academic Competition OR Random Drawing. Submitting to both routes will result in disqualification from both categories.
- Scholarship recipients will be contacted by the CFL; names and union affiliations will be posted on the CFL website. Excerpts from essays may be used for CFL promotional purposes.

Academic Competition Scoring (for Academic Competition applicants)
- Academic record contributes 75% of the total score.
- Personal essay contributes 25% of the total score.
- The five highest-scoring students (combined academic record and essay) in the Academic Competition will receive scholarships.
- See page 2 of the application for further details on academic and essay requirements.

Application Materials — What to Submit (one email, all attachments)
Send the following items by the Feb. 20, 2026 deadline to scholarship@chicagolabor.org:
1. Completed William A. Lee Memorial Scholarship application (both pages 4 and 5 must be filled out).
2. Signatures from:
- Chief executive officer of the applicant’s (or applicant’s parent’s) Local Union (examples: President, Recording Secretary, Financial Secretary, Business Manager). Business Agents, stewards, or delegates do not qualify as the CEO for signature purposes.
- High school principal or an authorized school representative.
3. Official ACT and/or SAT score report (in addition to any scores listed on the transcript).
4. High school transcripts covering seven semesters (applications with only six semesters will be considered incomplete/unacceptable).
5. Completed Activity Page (see page 3 of the application).
6. Personal essay (see guidelines below).

Application Formatting and Submission Rules
- Email all documents together in a single message to scholarship@chicagolabor.org.
- Attach each document as its own PDF file; do not paste documents into the body of the email and do not use links to external cloud accounts.
- Label each attachment with the student’s name and the item (e.g., John Smith_Transcript, John Smith_Activity Page).
- Students may email the signature page separately to their high school principal and union CEO to request signatures, but the final submission to CFL must include all signed documents together.

Application Form and Certifications
- Applicant information must be completed and signed by the student on both application pages.
- Local Union Certification: A CEO of the Local Union (as defined above) must complete and sign the union certification section.
- High School Certification: The principal or an authorized school representative must complete and sign the high school certification section.

Personal Essay — Required for Academic Competition
- Prompt: In a PDF document, respond to the question: “How has the Labor Movement impacted my life?”
- Length and format:
- 500 words or fewer
- Typed, single-spaced
- 12-point Times New Roman (or comparable size/font)
- One-inch margins on all sides
- Identifying information:
- In the upper-left corner include only the applicant’s name and phone number as listed on the application.
- Do not include any other identifying information on the essay.

Additional Terms and Conditions
- Decisions and results determined by the Scholarship Committee and Academic Competition are final.
- Scholarships are awarded without regard to race, religion, political affiliation, income level, or acceptance of other scholarships.
- Winners will be required to attend the scholarship presentation to receive their checks.
- Awards will be distributed as soon as practicable after selection.
- Any disputes or issues must be resolved by the students themselves or as directed by the CFL.
- Winners’ names and union affiliations will be made public on the CFL website; short excerpts from essays may be used for CFL communications.

Contact Information
Email submissions: scholarship@chicagolabor.org
Union affiliation verification: 312-222-1000

If you need clarification on any item of the application packet or the submission process, contact the CFL at the email above.