Scholarship America - Timeline

Timeline

Dollars for Scholars, the initial program that would become Scholarship America, was originally conceived by Dr. Irving Fradkin during a campaign for the Fall River, MA, school board in 1957, as a way of ensuring that community members could contribute to a city-wide scholarship fund through small donations. Fradkin lost the election, but began fundraising for Dollars for Scholars, starting the Fall River chapter in 1958.

Dollars for Scholars incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization in May 1961, under the name of Citizens' Scholarship Foundation of America (CSFA). During its early years, CSFA's headquarters moved from Fall River to Boston; to Concord, NH; and opened its first regional office in St. Peter, MN, in 1976, thanks to a grant from the Bush Foundation.

Also in 1976, CSFA expanded from its community-based Dollars for Scholars roots with the establishment of Scholarship Management Services (SMS), a branch of the organization designed to manage corporate scholarships. The Toro company of Minnesota became SMS's first client.

In 1984, the organization's board voted to move CSFA's headquarters to St. Peter, MN, where they remain today. That year, CSFA reached the $5 million mark in terms of scholarship funds distributed. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, the organization grew rapidly and launched its Collegiate Partner initiative (in which colleges agreed to maximize CSFA-related aid to students on their campuses) and ScholarShop program (a junior high and high school college-readiness curriculum.)

Between 1994 and 2001, CSFA's Dollars for Scholars program established nine regional offices across the country, seven of which remain open. In fiscal year 2000, the organization recorded its first year of distributing more than $100 million to students.

In September 2001, CSFA created the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund after the attacks on New York City and Washington, DC. With President Bill Clinton and Senator Bob Dole as co-chairs of the fundraising campaign, the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund raised more than $100 million, which it continues to distribute to the dependents of those killed or permanently disabled in the attacks, rescue and cleanup efforts.

On January 1, 2003, CSFA officially changed its name to Scholarship America; in the spring of that year, the organization surpassed the $1 billion mark in terms of funds distributed to students. As of the end of fiscal year 2007, Scholarship America had distributed $1.7 billion dollars to approximately 1.5 million students. (Scholarship America Annual Report, 2007).