News and Media

In Response to COVID-19 Pandemic:
OPEIU Members and Families Can Complete Bachelor's Degree
for Free This Summer

Enroll by June 22 and OPEIU Will Ensure it Costs You Nothing to Complete Your Degree

Because of the current economic and health uncertainty facing many of our members, your union is making it possible for all students who enroll through the OPEIU Low-Cost Degree Program at Central State University this summer to complete their degree with no out-of-pocket costs.

OPEIU members who enroll in the term beginning June 22 can do so under the same terms as the OPEIU Free College Program. All new and continuing students who are enrolled this summer will be eligible for a Free College last-dollar scholarship, which allows students to complete their degree (through graduation) with no out-of-pocket costs for tuition, fees or e-books. This represents a savings of more than $9,000.

It's more important than ever to stay connected to your union and its valuable resources. The OPEIU app is a great way to access helpful COVID-19 resources, learn more about your membership benefits, find links to OPEIU’s social media networks and much more. The app is available for free download for iPhones at the App Store and for Android devices at Google Play by searching OPEIU

Our friends at the AFL-CIO and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) have developed some resources to help parents support their students' distant learning during this pandemic. You'll find some helpful lessons and tools for kids in pre-K through 12th grade. And remember, OPEIU has put together some resources to help you navigate this crisis. Visit opeiu.org and click on the COVID-19 Outbreak Resources link.

We hear you: This is a tough time for parents and families who have school-age kids. With schools closed, some for the remainder of the year, families are learning how to support students’ distance learning and partner with their teachers and school staff while also juggling work and other responsibilities.

But it can be really hard. And that’s why the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the AFL-CIO are partnering to provide union families with helpful lessons and tools for kids in pre-K through 12th grade who are now learning at home and coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. We’d like to share these resources with you. We hope they’re helpful. (And please note, these resources are intended to supplement what your child’s teacher or school has already provided.)