Landing the Albert Shanker Scholarship as a High School Student—6 Things You Should Know
If you’re a high school student looking for resources to fund your college education, you should strongly consider applying for scholarships. Aside from providing funds for higher education, selective scholarships demonstrate academic excellence, leadership, and involvement in your community, all of which colleges look for in applicants.
The Albert Shanker Scholarship, detailed in today’s blog, is one such opportunity that can make a big difference in your journey to higher education. This post will guide you through the essentials of applying for this prestigious scholarship and how you can increase your chances of securing it.
What is the Albert Shanker Scholarship?
The Albert Shanker Scholarship was established by the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) to support New York City public high school students as they pursue their college education. It aims to recognize and reward students who have demonstrated academic achievement, leadership qualities, and a commitment to growth.
Each year, the scholarship provides $5,000 to 200 students, spread over four years, to assist with tuition and other college-related expenses. Their $1 million corpus has allowed them to give students like you a chance to reduce your financial burden while enhancing your college applications with an achievement.
How is the scholarship structured?
The Albert Shanker Scholarship is intended to support high schoolers from low-income households who have shown both high academic potential as well as deep community engagement. It offers $5,000, distributed semi-annually over four years of undergraduate study ($625 twice a year), to help cover various educational expenses. These expenses can be anything from tuition, fees, and books to supplies, car fare, or even lunches.
It’s a targeted scholarship intended only for high school seniors attending New York City public schools. The scholarship requires specific income and academic criteria (more on that below). In addition to the monetary award, the scholarship offers the opportunity to be part of a network of UFT-supported scholars, which can provide connections and guidance throughout your college years. It’s important to note that you must maintain your academic standing in college to continue receiving funds annually.
Is it prestigious?
Being awarded the Albert Shanker Scholarship is a fairly prestigious achievement. With less than 200 scholarships awarded each year on the basis of both merit and need, it is highly competitive and adds a credential to your profile. The program is well-known across New York City thanks to its long history of supporting public school students.
As an alumnus of the scholarship, you get the opportunity to connect with a broader network of past scholars and UFT members, providing valuable exposure and networking opportunities that can be helpful during and after college. While its regional restriction makes the scholarship less accessible, it is still quite prestigious due to the recognition and networking opportunities it provides.
Who is eligible to apply?
To apply for the Albert Shanker Scholarship, you must meet the following criteria:
Be a high school senior enrolled in a New York City public school
Be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident
Meet the financial eligibility criteria based on family income. This is very important!
While specific academic and leadership criteria are not listed as mandatory, the scholarship makes it clear that you need to be both academically gifted and deeply involved with leadership in your community.
How does the application process work?
An application for the Albert Shanker Scholarship requires:
Your personal information in the online form
Your high school transcript
A detailed family income document containing the most recent tax returns on which you are declared as a dependent and income forms, including all W2 and 1099 documents
At least two and a maximum of four recommendation letters
For 2024, applications were due by February 28, so expect 2025 to be similar.
Six tips to land the Albert Shanker Scholarship
Here are six actionable tips that should help improve your chances of success:
Understand the scholarship's focus on community service: The Albert Shanker Scholarship values leadership and community involvement. Make sure your application emphasizes how you’ve contributed to your community. Be specific—whether it’s organizing local events, volunteering regularly, or leading initiatives in school clubs. Detail the impact of your work for your community and how it aligns with the scholarship’s purpose.
Review the financial eligibility criteria thoroughly: The Albert Shanker Scholarship has strict income eligibility guidelines. Before applying, ensure that you meet the financial requirements by reviewing the income eligibility chart provided by UFT. Double-check that the documents you submit—tax returns, W-2s, or other income documentation—are accurate and clearly reflect your financial situation.
Be thorough with the financial declarations in the application: In keeping with the point above, once you determine that you are eligible, ensure you provide all financial documents required by the scholarship. Financial need is a key factor in receiving the Albert Shanker Scholarship. Be transparent about your financial situation because transparency will help the governing body make an informed decision regarding your application.
Demonstrate academic consistency: While there is no stated minimum GPA requirement, competitive applicants naturally aim as high as possible. In addition to a strong GPA, show academic improvement if relevant. If you have had any challenges in maintaining a high GPA, try to explain them in a way that shows resilience and determination, qualities that the selection committee values.
Secure your letters of recommendation: Speak to teachers and mentors to try and secure the strongest letters of recommendation that you’re able to get. The fact that the scholarship allows up to 4 letters indicates these recommendations play a crucial role in determining whether or not you’re awarded the scholarship.
Seek guidance from UFT representatives: UFT offers support for applicants through informational sessions and their website resources. If you’re unsure about any part of the application, don’t hesitate to contact UFT directly for clarification. Their representatives can provide insights into what they look for in applications and may even answer specific questions about the selection process. This can be quite helpful, especially for completing your financial declarations, which can get complicated.
One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, you could also consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4,000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.