Joe Beirne Scholarship Program 2027-2028

To All Members

The CWA Joe Beirne Foundation was established in October 1974 by the Communications Workers of America Executive Board to honor the name and memory of the founding President of CWA, who served for more than 30 years. In his capacity as the first CWA President, Joe Beirne took great pride in the roles he played in the fields of education and learning and other areas of social concern. On April 26, 1999, the CWA Executive Board voted to combine the Joseph Anthony Beirne Memorial Foundation and the Ray Hackney Scholarship Fund, thereby creating the CWA Joe Beirne Foundation. Read more about Joseph Beirne.

Eligibility

I am pleased to announce the application process for the CWA Joe Beirne Foundation’s scholarships for the 2027-2028 school year is now open.

The Foundation’s Board of Directors has approved the awarding of 16 partial college scholarships of $4,000 each for two years. Eligible for the scholarships are CWA members, their spouses, children, and grandchildren, including the dependents of retired, laid-off, or deceased members. Applications will be available solely online for submission on the Foundation’s website at https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/9082864/CWA-Beirne-Scholarship-2027-28.

Please also distribute the link to the scholarship program poster https://cwa-union.org/beirneposter to members and post on local websites to encourage participation.

Full program details can be found on the website at https://cwa-union.org/beirne.                                                                                                                            
As announced last year, the Foundation’s Board of Directors also approved the addition of one (1) new scholarship in the name of “Addie Brinkley RMC Lifetime Member Scholarship” for the sole use of RMC Lifetime members, their spouses, their dependents or their grandchildren in the amount of $4,000 annually for up to two years. RMC President Gwen Parker will be distributing a notice to the RMC Lifetime members with the details of the process launching on November 30, 2026.

This valuable scholarship program is made possible by the funding of CWA locals. For those locals not yet participating in funding the Beirne scholarships, I urge you to do so. Financial arrangements can be made to accommodate your local’s needs.

For more information and assistance, please call (202) 434-1123.