We are very honored that the Institute for International Education (IIE) has recognized the Western Union Family Scholarship Program with the IIE Opening Minds Corporate Leadership Award.

This award recognizes Western Union’s exemplary leadership and outstanding commitment to education and corporate social responsibility around the globe. The Family Scholarship Program, which is administered by IIE, is intended to help two members of a family move up the economic ladder through education. Scholarships are used for college tuition, language acquisition, technical training and GED classes.

We put our customers at the center of all we do; education is our customers’ priority…and so it is ours.  We are combining our strengths, including our global network, our brand and our talent, with new technology platforms and strategic partnerships to help our customers support their families and increase their access to education.

We are committed to giving back to those who use our services. For more than a decade, the Western Union Foundation has supported more than 600 students around the world with scholarships totaling more than one million dollars.  

Additionally, using our Business Solutions, students can pay their foreign tuition and fees, in their local currency, directly from their home countries’ bank account. And through our partnership with the Union of European Football Associations, we just announced the Pass Program, with a goal to provide at least one million days of education.

“The Family Scholarship Program has played a significant role in Western Union’s vision to create a better world, where the ability to realize dreams through economic opportunity is not just a privilege for the few but a right for all,“ said Luella Chavez D’Angelo, senior vice president, Social Ventures and president, Western Union Foundation. “The Family Scholarship program is one means of realizing this vision by supporting education as a pathway toward a better future for individuals, families and entire communities, as well as the lives of their families back home.” Because two family members receive a scholarship for the type of education they need, the program creates a brighter future for an entire family."

At a September 18 event in New York City, attended by leading business executives, diplomats, philanthropists, educations and others, several recipients of our Western Union Family Scholarship joined Hikmet to celebrate this honor. Western Union Corporate Board Chair Jack Greenberg, who serves on the IIE Board, presented the award to Hikmet.