Established within one week of the attacks on September 11, 2001, the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund® is unprecedented in its scope. It will ultimately provide more than $100 million in postsecondary education assistance to an entire generation of financially needy dependents of those killed or permanently disabled in the 9/11 attacks and their aftermath.  The Fund has already provided millions of dollars in scholarship support, and will continue to provide education assistance through the year 2030(1).  

The Lumina Foundation for Education and Scholarship America® established the Fund with the foresight that the loss of a family provider to death or injury on 9/11 would put the educational futures of thousands of present and future students in jeopardy. The Fund was established so that, for those dependents with financial need, postsecondary education would remain within reach.

The Fund sparked incredible generosity nationwide. With President Bill Clinton and U.S. Senator Bob Dole serving as campaign co-chairs, donations arrived from more than 20,000 corporations, foundations, educational institutions, grassroots organizations, and individuals, raising more than $108 million. More than 16,000 of those contributors were individuals.

In addition to the main Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund, a number of donors established subfunds that are operated in conjunction with the main Fund.  In general, these subfunds provide awards to dependents of 9/11 victims in the same manner as the main Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund, however, they are governed by separate, independent agreements between Scholarship America and the donors which detail the specific terms and conditions of each subfund. 

The first Families of Freedom scholarships were awarded in January 2002.  As of November 2007, the Fund and its subfunds had provided needed scholarships to 899 individuals, totaling more than $23 million.  In 2007 alone, scholarship grants totaled more than $4.7 million. There are currently nearly 5,000 individuals registered for Families of Freedom scholarships through 2030.

1. In February 2008 the Scholarship America Board of Trustees voluntarily determined that any assets remaining in the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund after 2030 shall only be used to provide post-secondary scholarship assistance to the families of those killed or disabled on September 11, 2001 and their descendants.  Please click here for the full text of the Board of Trustees Resolution.
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