Scholarships

The CFT offers scholarships to high school seniors and college students who are children or dependents of CFT members in good standing. Students enrolled in four-year courses of study are eligible for $3000 scholarships; those enrolled in two-year courses of study are eligible for $1000.

Through this benefit of membership, the CFT has helped hundreds of children of union members achieve their high education goals. To date, the union has awarded $1.8 million in Raoul Teilhet Scholarships to 669 children or dependents of union members.

You will find complete information about eligibility and application below.

ABOUT CFT SCHOLARSHIPS

Scholarship eligibility

• Award selection is based on academic achievement, special talents and skills, participation in extracurricular activities, community service, financial need, and a 500-word essay on a social issue of the applicant’s choice.
• The applicant’s parent or guardian must be a member in good standing of an AFT local union in California.
• The applicant must be listed as a dependent on their parent’s or guardian’s tax return.
• Scholarships are awarded for any one year of higher education.
• High school students who received Raoul Teilhet Scholarships are not eligible for another scholarship as continuing college students. Continuing college students who received Raoul Teilhet Scholarships are not eligible to apply again.

Applications and deadlines

NEW! On May 15, 2019, the CFT launched online scholarship application. We are excited to offer this upgrade and we think it will make applying for a scholarship much easier. The CFT will now accept only online applications.

When you click on a link below, you will be ask you to create a log-in for our application portal. Please keep track of your username and password. Once you have a log-in, you may work on your application at any time until it is completed and submitted.

• HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS
  Application is now open.
  The deadline to submit applications is January 10, 2020.
• CONTINUING COLLEGE STUDENTS 
  The application period has closed for 2019.
  Applications were due July 1, 2019.  

Advance planning for applicants

Complete requirements for each scholarship are detailed in our application portal. However, knowing in advance what documentation and other information you will need may speed your application. Here’s the things to have ready when you apply.

• Transcript: You will need your most recent transcript. High school seniors are asked to provide an official transcript. 
• Parent/Guardian Federal Tax Return: The first two pages of your parent’s or guardian’s signed federal tax return are required.
• Member Verification by Parent/Guardian: You will need your parent’s email address.
• Member Verification by AFT Local Union President: You will need the name and email address of your parent’s AFT local union president.
• Letters of Recommendation: Three recommendations are required are required for high school senior applicants, and two recommendations are required for continuing college student applicants. You will need the email addresses of your recommenders.
• Essay: A titled essay on a social issue of the applicant’s choice, not to exceed 500 words.

About Raoul Teilhet and our program

The CFT Raoul Teilhet Scholarship Program began in 1997 when delegates to the CFT Convention voted to establish scholarships that could help children and dependents of members achieve their higher education goals.

The program was named after inspirational CFT leader Raoul Teilhet. Teilhet served the organization as president from 1968 to 1985. In 2003, Convention delegates extended eligibility to continuing college students and dependents of deceased CFT members.

Raoul Teilhet died in 2013; you can read about Teilhet’s life and contributions to the union in his obituary. Since the program was established in 1997, the CFT has helped hundreds of students achieve their higher education goals by awarding them Raoul Teilhet Scholarships.

Flyers for local unions

Flyer about the CFT Raoul Teilhet Scholarship Program contains basic info about the CFT scholarship program. 

Flyer about all union scholarships available to members contains info about programs offered by the CFT, the AFT and the AFL-CIO.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Please email Maria Arteaga, or phone our Administrative Office in Burbank at (818)-843-8226.

Learn about more union scholarships offered by the AFT and the AFL-CIO.