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PARSIPPANY, N.J. – Each year, the Ukrainian National Association (UNA) offers special scholarships and monetary awards for its student members who are enrolled in colleges and universities. The deadline for applications for the 2025-2026 academic year is June 1 and the UNA encourages its student members to take advantage of this very important fraternal benefit.
In the more than 131 years of its existence, the UNA has always supported young people in their pursuit of higher education. In fact, the first UNA scholarships were actually small stipends awarded to promising students to help them attain a brighter future. A formal scholarship program was established in 1964. Since then, the UNA has awarded scholarships to several thousand young men and women.
The eight Special Scholarships awarded by the UNA – but funded by generous and altruistic benefactors – include the following for undergraduate students:
• Joseph and Dora Galandiuk Scholarship ($2,500) for students studying the sciences or accounting;
• Orest and Lidia Bilous Family Foundation Scholarship I ($2,000) for students studying political science;
• Orest and Lidia Bilous Family Foundation Scholarship II ($2,000) for students studying political science;
• Dr. Oleksandr “Drot” Tysovskyi Scholarship ($2,000) for students who are active members of Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization;
• Vasyl and Marika Tershakovec Family Scholarship ($2,000) for students studying history or political science;
• Dmytro and Slava Jarosewycz Memorial Scholarship ($1,000) for students excelling in their studies;
• Stefan Hawrysz Scholarship ($1,000) for students from one of the UNA’s Philadelphia District branches; and
• Danylo Andrii Demidenko Scholarship ($500) for students in the medical field.
In addition, the UNA itself sponsors eight UNA Heritage Scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each for undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in either full- or part-time programs. This represents an increase from the six Heritage Scholarships offered by the UNA during the 2024-25 academic year. These scholarships – which recognize academic achievement and community involvement – were initially established in 2019 to celebrate the UNA’s 125th anniversary.
The Vasyl and Marika Tershakovec Family Scholarship was established in March, becoming the newest addition to the UNA’s scholarship program. Moreover, the Orest and Lidia Bilous Family Foundation has graciously funded a second scholarship and the amount of the Jospeh and Dora Galandiuk Scholarship has been increased by the benefactors.
With these additions, the UNA now has 16 special scholarships in addition to regular monetary awards that are based on the applicant’s year of study. These regular monetary awards are granted upon completion of the senior year of high school and during the freshman, sophomore and junior years of college. They are also granted to current college seniors who are entering a graduate degree program, or students currently enrolled in a graduate degree program. Incoming freshmen receive the lowest award amounts, while graduate students receive the highest. Amounts awarded by the UNA Scholarship Committee depend on the availability of UNA funds in any given year.
Last year, the UNA Scholarship Committee recognized 34 students from the United States and Canada with special scholarships or monetary awards.
In order to apply for a UNA scholarship or award, a student must have a current UNA insurance policy with a minimum amount of $5,000 (term policies excluded). The most common policies are endowments at age 18 and the 20-year endowment. These policies are usually purchased for children by their parents, grandparents or aunts and uncles.
To learn more about the UNA’s scholarship program and eligibility requirements, or to download an application, readers may visit the following link on the UNA website: unainc.org/benefits/scholarships/.
It is important to note that the UNA also offers a Coverdell Education Savings Account (ESA), another common vehicle for academic funding, whereby up to $2,000 per year can be deposited into an account with tax-free growth, provided the funds are withdrawn and used for studies.
For more information about UNA insurance policies, endowments, annuities, IRAs and the ESA, readers may contact their branch secretary or the UNA directly at 800-253-9862.
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The Ukrainian Weekly was founded in 1933 to serve the Ukrainian American community and to function as a vehicle for communication of that community’s concerns to the general public in the United States. It is the official English-language publication of the Ukrainian National Association.
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