Who They Are
Scholarship America began with a simple yet powerful vision in 1958. Dr. Irving Fradkin, an optometrist, proposed that if everyone in his community donated just one dollar to a scholarship fund, they could help every local student attend college. This humble experiment succeeded and evolved into what is now the nation's largest nonprofit scholarship administrator.
For more than 60 years, Scholarship America has remained committed to eliminating financial barriers to educational success. What started as a community-based initiative has grown into a nationwide organization that has distributed an impressive $5.7 billion in scholarships to over 3.2 million deserving students throughout its history.
Today, Scholarship America continues to be driven by the belief that every student deserves the opportunity to pursue their educational dreams, regardless of financial circumstances. Their approach focuses particularly on students facing financial challenges, working to break down barriers and open doors to education that might otherwise remain closed.
With supporters ranging from individual donors to Fortune 500 companies, Scholarship America has built a powerful network dedicated to educational equity. Their commitment to making education accessible has made them a trusted partner in creating pathways to success for generations of students.
What They Do
Scholarship America distributes more than $300 million annually to over 100,000 students, making them the largest nonprofit scholarship administrator in the United States. Their core work involves designing and delivering scholarships in partnership with donors and sponsors, ensuring that financial support reaches the right students at the right time.
The organization's approach goes beyond simply awarding money. They craft flexible, custom scholarship programs that connect organizations' missions with best-in-class solutions, creating meaningful impact for both donors and recipients. This personalized approach allows Scholarship America to address the specific needs of diverse student populations while aligning with the goals of their partners.
Scholarship America focuses particularly on providing equitable pathways to education and training for students with financial need. By removing financial barriers, they enable outstanding students to access the resources necessary for academic success. Their comprehensive approach considers the full spectrum of financial challenges that students face.
Through their expertise in scholarship administration and commitment to educational equity, Scholarship America continues to expand opportunities for students nationwide. Their work represents a critical investment in the future, helping to ensure that financial circumstances don't determine educational outcomes for America's students.
One Scholarship Away
Ahead of Mother's Day, Scholarship America is launching a new national emergency scholarship to support student parents. Roughly 20% of American undergrads are parents, and 1.7 million are single moms. Despite earning higher GPAs on average than their peers, student parents — especially single moms — face disproportionate dropout risks when hit with unexpected financial emergencies.
This new fund will provide $500–$1,000 emergency grants to help student parents cover costs like childcare, housing, or groceries so they can stay enrolled and on track to graduate.
As part of the launch, Scholarship America has released its "One Scholarship Away" video, featuring real students, including a few parents, whose lives were changed by emergency scholarships.
To learn more about Scholarship America, visit their website.
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Photos via Scholarship America.
