Mission Statement
Scholarship America's mission is to mobilize America, through scholarships and educational support, to make post-secondary success possible for all students.
Vision Statement
Scholarship America's vision is to be the nationally recognized leader in providing private scholarships and other financial support, to make the completion of education beyond high school a reality for all.
History
Scholarship America believes that every student deserves an opportunity to go to college, regardless of their financial status.
In 1958, an Optometrist in Fall River, Mass., had a simple but profound idea—if everyone in his community gave just a dollar to an educational fund, it would be enough to help nearly every student in the community attend college.
Dr. Irving Fradkin called his plan "Dollars for Scholars," and it has expanded into what today is the nation's largest non-profit, private-sector scholarship and educational support organization—Scholarship America.
Since its founding, Scholarship America has distributed more than $2.9 billion to 1.9 million students across the country through various programs including Dollars for Scholars, Dreamkeepers, and Scholarship Management Services.
As they celebrate our 50th anniversary and enter their second half-century of helping students, they invite you to become a part of their mission by donating or volunteering today.
Dollars for Scholars
At the heart of Scholarship America lies the Dollars for Scholars division—nearly 1,000 locally based, volunteer-driven chapters serving students in 2,850 communities across the country. With support from our national office and six regional offices, Dollars for Scholars chapters help hometown students achieve their educational goals by raising scholarship funds, establishing endowments, providing assistance with college readiness and the financial aid process, and distributing scholarships each year.