Overview

The Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund ® (Families of Freedom) was created to provide education assistance for post-secondary study to dependents — children and spouses — of those killed or permanently disabled as a result of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and during the rescue activities relating to those attacks.  

President Bill Clinton and U.S. Senator Bob Dole served as co-chairs of the campaign fund effort until the fundraising goal of $100 million was reached on September 4, 2002, signaling the end of the active fundraising campaign.

Within one week of 9/11, the Lumina Foundation for Education and Scholarship America ® established the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund to ensure that a college education would remain within reach for the dependents - children and spouses - of these victims, including: the workers and visitors in the World Trade Center and Pentagon; flight crews and passengers on the downed airplanes; and those who responded, including firefighters, police officers, emergency personnel and relief workers. The first Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund scholarships were awarded to eligible students in January 2002.

The goal, as stated in the fund declaration effective September 17, 2001, was and remains,

"to provide education assistance for post-secondary study to financially needy dependents of those people killed or permanently disabled as a result of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and during the rescue activities relating to those attacks."

This fund was created with the foresight that the educational futures of thousands of financially needy students would be in jeopardy as a result of losing a provider to death or injury on 9/11. The fund sparked incredible generosity nationwide. The fund today stands at $112 million; it has delivered needed scholarships to 872 individuals that have totaled more than $22 million. In 2007 alone, scholarship grants have totaled more than $3.2 million.