Scholarship America Overview
About Scholarship America®
Scholarship America (www.scholarshipamerica.org) has awarded more than $1 billion to more than one million deserving students since 1958 – students like Vladimir Vojnovic, who fled war-torn Sarajevo with his family and $11, and attends Georgetown University through a Scholarship America-related scholarship. “Without scholarships, I wouldn’t be able to afford college,” said Vojnovic. “My scholarships are fulfilling my dreams.” Now you can help Scholarship America continue to strengthen the world, one student at time. With headquarters in Minnesota, Scholarship America is the nation’s largest nonprofit, private-sector scholarship and educational support organization. Scholarship America carries out its mission to expand access to education and encourage academic achievement through its Dollars for Scholars®, Scholarship Management Services® and ScholarShop® programs.
Dollars for Scholars
Educational dreams become a unifying vision of hope and promise within communities with Dollars for Scholars® chapters. Dollars for Scholars is a volunteer-driven national network of community-based scholarship foundations in 40 states and the District of Columbia that raise funds to support local students through scholarships.
Scholarship America’s flagship program, Dollars for Scholars began in 1958 with the vision of Dr. Irving Fradkin, who challenged everyone in his hometown of Fall River, Mass. to give at least one dollar toward sending its youth to college. Dollars for Scholars caught on. There are now more than 1,200 chapters across America. Each community that starts a Dollars for Scholars chapter sends its youth a message of hope, encouraging students by letting them know that there is an entire community of volunteers who support their success and share their educational dreams.
Last year, Dollars for Scholars chapters nationwide awarded nearly $28.8 million in scholarships.
Scholarship Management Services
For nearly 30 years, Scholarship Management Services has developed education assistance programs that work for organizations of all sizes, from those distributing only a few awards to those granting several million dollars each year.
Scholarship Management Services is the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarship and tuition reimbursement programs for corporations, foundations, associations and individuals. Last year, Scholarship Management Services distributed $151 million to 84,000 students, through more than 1,000 sponsored programs nationwide.
Scholarships and tuition reimbursement make postsecondary education a reality for tomorrow’s leaders. www.scholarshipmanagement.org
ScholarShop
ScholarShop® (www.scholarshop.org) teaches students in grades 4-12 to set goals for their future and prepare for post-secondary education by helping kids learn about themselves and have fun charting their future. In doing so, ScholarShop helps kids realize their interests and, inherently, their strengths. ScholarShop teaches kids that there is real power in their choices – the power to shape their future. Through an activity-based curriculum, ScholarShop sets a course for kids to discover their talents, explore careers, and obtain the education to realize their dreams.
Developed in collaboration with Paws, Inc. (of cartoon-cat GARFIELD™ fame) ScholarShop’s Options for Kids is now an online, interactive tool geared to 4th-6th graders that reflects how kids learn today. With a game-like environment promoting positive youth development through a sequential learning process, ScholarShop’s Options for Kids brings a unique presence to the Internet through its animation, interactivity, and use of GARFIELD as kids’ guide. Access is free via scholarshopkids.org. There is also a link from Garfield.com and ScholarshipAmerica.org.
ParentShop, available in English and Spanish, is a series of interactive workshops to help parents understand and support different learning styles, explore careers with their kids, advocate for their child in school, and navigate the application process for post-secondary education.
