History of the Grant
The Board of Directors of SUA believes in the preservation of the Slovenian culture in America. The future leadership of SUA depends upon having members who have pursued academic or vocational education. The board believes that financial limitations may influence the ability of students to pursue their educational goals. Sources of financial aid such as scholarships, tuition waivers, and loans are available to provide support for tuition. The SUA Educational Grant is designed to provide students of all ages a monetary award to help defray the costs of books, lab fees, and other items unrelated to tuition support.
Recent Grant Awardees
SUA Educational Grants were rewarded to the following individuals in 2024: Julia Delgado (Branch 30) Bluffton, SC; Robert Staresinic (Branch 26) Valencia, PA; and Anthony Terselic (Branch 108) Frederick, MD.
See more about the 2024 awardees here.
Grant Requirements Applicants are required to be US Citizens or a Permanent Residents of the US; applicants must be SUA members in good standing and high school graduates or students in a higher education institution. The entire application must be completed and signed. Applicants will need additional pages to write three personal narratives. Any additional pages will require the first and last name on each page. The application form, reference letter, and additional pages with the first and last name on the top of each page must be received by July 1 of the year of application. Late submissions or incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
Application Process
Download the form below, and save it. The form is a fillable PDF document and is designed for the applicant to type information on the page; therefore, the applicant must save the document on the computer once it is filled in. The complete application and additional information must be submitted to and received by the Education Grant Selection Committee by email or at the address listed below by the deadline of July 1 for the upcoming school year.
Email application here:
[email protected] (Annelise Gorensek-Benitez, SUA VP of Culture and Heritage; Subject: Educational Grant
Send application by regular mail here:
Slovenian Union of America Educational Grant | 431 N Chicago Street Joliet, IL 60432-1703 Attention: SUA Educational Grant
If you have questions, please send an email here: [email protected] Subject: SUA Educational Grant
External Funding Opportunities
There are many awards available for engaging with your Slovenian culture and heritage available outside of SUA. You can find links to these scholarships & grants below.
Studying & Doing Research in Slovenia
- ASEF Junior Fellows Program: The American Slovenian Educational Foundation (ASEF) is a one-year program that provides undergraduate and graduate students of Slovenian heritage to spend 10 weeks working in Slovenia with a company or academic institution. The fellowship covers travel, housing and living expenses for the trips and helps students identify a mentor. You can learn more about the ASEF Junior Fellows program here: https://asef.net/junior-fellowship/visit-slovenia/
- Fulbright US Student Program: the Fulbright provides American citizens with the opportunity to research and study in Slovenia. The Public Scholarship Fund of Slovenia grants up to 2 Open Study/Research Award grants each year. Through this grant, awardees with graduate students can conduct 9 months of independent research. Learn more about the Fulbright opportunities available in Slovenia here: https://us.fulbrightonline.org/countries/europe-and-eurasia/slovenia/1725
- Fulbright Scholars: Fulbright scholars are professionals, academics and artists with a terminal degree in their field who spend 4-5 months conducting independent research and/or teaching abroad. Slovenia is one of several eligible countries. Learn more about Fulbright Scholars in Slovenia here: https://fulbrightscholars.org/award/all-disciplines-747
- US Embassy in Slovenia NGO Small Grants: The US Embassy in Slovenia provides grants for projects that promote collaboration between Slovenian and American professionals in which an American applicant works in Slovenia. Awardees are expected to undertake a lecture series in Slovenia to promote understanding of American culture. Click here for more information: https://si.usembassy.gov/ngo-small-grants/
Bringing Slovenian Faculty to America
- Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program: The Fulbright Visiting Scholar program is a non-degree post-doctoral program for junior and senior academics in Slovenia. Between 4 and 5 are awarded annually. Click here for more information: https://si.usembassy.gov/fulbright-visiting-scholar-post-doctoral-program/
- Fulbright Schuman Program: This program offers European scholars (pre- and post-doctoral) the opportunity to research or conduct lectures in the US on topics relevant to the EU and US-EU affairs. For more information, click here: https://www.fulbrightschuman.eu/grants-eu-citizens/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3SexncVU5SZcQpd2lE84YYI7_tJh7TPzIZzJUfB-W0c_EM0KOqyQ9ssU0_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw&doing_wp_cron=1718834273.9565210342407226562500
Learning to Speak Slovenian
- Language School Scholarship at the University of Ljubljana: People of Slovenian heritage up to 35 years of age are eligible for a scholarship from the Slovenian Ministry of Education that covers tuition fees for Slovenian language courses at the University of Ljubljana. For more information about the program, follow this link: https://centerslo.si/en/courses-for-adults/general-information/scholarships?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2s_KaU96hlXGTw3dNQhejUhVfnaB3ieSGB5UCXJdLC_SqqzgObrr9ZqG8_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw
Have a trip scheduled but don’t know where to start? Check out the Slovenia guide for Fulbrighters here: https://eca.state.gov/files/bureau/slovenia-guide-for-u-s–fulbrighters.pdf