Scholarship America
Scholarship America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1958, that administers approximately 1,300 scholarship programs on behalf of corporate, foundation, and government sponsors for students across the United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1958
- HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Scholarship America does
Scholarship America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1958 and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the largest nonprofit scholarship administrator in the United States, operating approximately 1,300 active scholarship programs on behalf of corporate, foundation, government, and institutional sponsors — including roughly half of the Fortune 500. In 2025 the organization awarded $338 million in scholarship dollars, bringing cumulative disbursements to more than $6 billion and 3.5 million students supported since inception.
Its core offering is end-to-end scholarship program administration: program design, eligibility criteria, application intake, review and selection, payment disbursement, compliance, and impact reporting. The technology backbone is being transitioned to a Submittable-built scholarship management platform going live in early 2026, with digital ACH disbursements delivered through a new Flywire partnership that replaces more than 110,000 annual paper checks. The portfolio also includes sub-brands Dollars for Scholars (community chapters), Dream Award (flagship aid), Dreamkeepers (emergency aid disbursable within 72 hours), Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund, and Collegiate Partners.
Revenue mechanics are typical of a nonprofit administrator: the organization charges management and administration fees to scholarship sponsors while accepting individual donations, with a stated efficiency of 92 cents of every donated dollar reaching students and 3% covering administrative costs. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales to sponsor organizations (corporations, foundations, government and institutions) supplemented by thought-leadership channels such as the Partner Convening Webinar Series, the annual Irving Innovation Awards event, and active content marketing, while students access available programs through a self-serve browse portal and the Dollars for Scholars chapter network.
Scholarship America firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Scholarship America
- Legal name
- Scholarship America, Inc.
- Website
- https://scholarshipamerica.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1958
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Scholarship America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1958, that administers approximately 1,300 scholarship programs on behalf of corporate, foundation, and government sponsors for students across the United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Scholarship America industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Scholarship Administration Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Corporate & Employer-Sponsored Scholarships (EDAIAOAI), Application Support, Matching Platforms & Scholarship Administration Services (EDAIAOAN), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)
Keywords
Where Scholarship America is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minneapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Scholarship America business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Scholarship Administration Services: Scholarship America generates revenue by charging fees to sponsors (corporations, foundations, government agencies, individuals) for administering scholarship programs on their behalf. Services include program design, application management, selection processes, disbursement, compliance, and reporting. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, with 92 cents of every donated dollar going directly to student scholarships and programs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Scholarship America product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Scholarship America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that administers end-to-end scholarship programs on behalf of paying sponsors (corporations, foundations, government agencies, and individuals). Services span program design, eligibility criteria development, application management, recipient selection, payment disbursement, compliance, and impact reporting. The organization also operates branded programs such as Dollars for Scholars community chapters, the Dream Award flagship scholarship, the Dreamkeepers emergency aid program, and the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund, and runs an online portal where students browse and apply for open scholarships.
Product overview
Scholarship America operates as a scholarship administration platform offering a comprehensive suite of services centered around its core Scholarship Management Services. The portfolio includes branded programs such as Dollars for Scholars (community chapters), Dream Award (flagship scholarship), Dreamkeepers (emergency aid), and Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund. Additional offerings include the Collegiate Partners program, Irving Innovation Awards, and the Partner Convening Webinar Series for sponsor education. The organization recently selected Submittable as its new technology provider for platform improvements beginning in early 2026.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Dollars for Scholars: Community-based scholarship program brand operated by local chapters
- Dream Award
- Dreamkeepers
Products and services
- Scholarship Management Services
- Dollars for Scholars
- Dream Award
- Dreamkeepers
- Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund
- Collegiate Partners
- Emergency Aid Services
Quantifiable outcome
- $6 billion awarded to students since 1958
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Scholarship America
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Scholarship America technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature1 record
Scholarship America partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.
- OportunminorOportun, a mission-driven financial services company, partnered with Scholarship America to administer its 2026 Oportun Scholarship Program. Thirty students from California and Florida were awarded scholarships recognizing academic achievement, leadership, resilience, and community commitment. Recipients receive four years of complimentary access to Oportun's Set and Save app and up to $500 in savings matching.
- FlywirecoreFlywire partnered with Scholarship America to digitize electronic scholarship disbursements to students and institutions across the United States. The partnership replaces Scholarship America's annual issuance of more than 110,000 paper checks with digital ACH payments, replicating Flywire's proven 529 college savings plan disbursement model that has already facilitated over $9 billion in electronic payments across more than 800 institutions.
- Intact Insurance Specialty SolutionsminorIntact Insurance Specialty Solutions awarded $3,000 college scholarships to 16 students through its annual scholarship program, administered by Scholarship America. The program has awarded scholarships to nearly 400 students since 2003.
- American ExpressminorAmerican Express announced new AI training and education initiatives for small businesses in collaboration with nonprofits Generation and Scholarship America. The Smart Futures for Small Business Scholarship, administered by Scholarship America, provides up to $1,000 in funding for eligible U.S.-based small business employees pursuing AI certification programs.
- US FoodscoreUS Foods partnered with Scholarship America to administer its 2026 US Foods Scholars scholarship program, offering 20 need-based scholarships of $20,000 each totaling $400,000 to students pursuing culinary arts. The program has awarded nearly $2.5 million to more than 120 students since launch.
- The Toro CompanyflagshipScholarship America and The Toro Company celebrated 50 years of partnership in 2026. The program, supporting children of Toro employees in pursuing higher education, has awarded more than $4.7 million in scholarships since 1976. The Toro Company was Scholarship America's first corporate client.
- California Water Service GroupminorCalifornia Water Service Group opened its 13th annual scholarship program offering up to $80,000 in scholarships, administered by Scholarship America. Four grand-prize scholarships of $10,000 each and additional scholarships of $2,500 to $5,000 are awarded based on academic achievement, community service, and financial need.
- GenerationcoreGeneration partnered with American Express and Scholarship America on AI Upskilling for Small Business program, offering three training tracks tailored to different roles and AI familiarity levels with courses available globally in English and Spanish.
- SubmittablecoreScholarship America, the largest scholarship administrator in the United States, selected Submittable as its new technology provider for its scholarship management platform. The transition aims to improve efficiency, user experience, and support for students and sponsors, with implementation beginning in early 2026. Submittable is described as best-in-class for digital accessibility.
- Lumina FoundationcoreLumina Foundation sponsors the Partner Convening Webinar Series, supporting educational content on topics including emergency aid, DAF-funded scholarships, disability support, and skilled trades workforce development.
- Imaginable FuturescoreImaginable Futures sponsors the Partner Convening Webinar Series, focusing on student parent support and equity in higher education.
- The Kresge FoundationcoreThe Kresge Foundation participates in Scholarship America's Partner Convening Webinar Series, contributing to discussions on scholarship outreach and equity-centered design.
- AmazoncoreAmazon sponsors the Partner Convening Webinar Series, supporting thought leadership content on scholarship innovation.
- Wells FargocoreWells Fargo sponsors the Partner Convening Webinar Series, supporting educational equity initiatives.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Scholarship America competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- QuestBridge: Nonprofit facilitating scholarships for low-income students through its College Match program, partnering with 50+ colleges and corporate funders — closely comparable mission, sponsor-funded scholarship administration, and student-services model.
- United Negro College Fund (UNCF): UNCF is a major US 501(c)(3) scholarship organization administering scholarship programs and managing corporate/foundation sponsorships for minority students — same nonprofit scholarship administration model as Scholarship America, with shared corporate Fortune 500 sponsor pool.
- Hispanic Scholarship Fund: Direct peer: a 501(c)(3) administering scholarship programs (HSF Scholars, Gates Millennium Scholar cohort administration) funded by corporate and foundation sponsors for Hispanic students — directly comparable scholarship administration business targeting US undergraduates.
- Jack Kent Cooke Foundation: Scholarship foundation funding high-achieving low-income students through College Scholarship Program — comparable mission-driven 501(c)(3) scholarship administrator with national scope and merit/need-based award structure.
- National Merit Scholarship Corporation: Operates the National Merit Scholarship Program and administers corporate-sponsored Special Scholarships from over 200 corporate/individual sponsors — same B2B sponsor-administered scholarship model with shared Fortune 500 sponsor relationships.
Broad incumbents
- Lumina Foundation: Large education-focused grantmaking foundation supporting Goal 2025 (60% postsecondary attainment). Sponsors Scholarship America's Partner Convening Webinar Series, illustrating incumbent presence in the same education access/equity sector though via grantmaking rather than admin-services delivery.
Others
- Submittable: Application management platform selected by Scholarship America in late 2025 as its new tech backbone. Ecosystem enabler/technology partner rather than direct competitor, but as a horizontal application-review SaaS it could be used by corporate sponsors to operate scholarship programs in-house, bypassing third-party administrators.
Emerging players
- Foundant Technologies: Provider of grant and scholarship management software (Foundant Grant Lifecycle Manager, Scholarship Lifecycle Manager) for foundations and nonprofits. Directly analogous to the platform layer Scholarship America is rebuilding with Submittable, and a potential competitor for admin-services market share.
- SmarterSelect: Scholarship management SaaS platform enabling foundations, nonprofits, and corporations to administer their own scholarship programs. Emerging competitor targeting the same B2B scholarship administration market from a software-only angle — could disintermediate Scholarship America's service layer.
Regional players
- International Scholarship & Tuition Services (ISTS): Specializes in scholarship administration for international students and mobility programs, complementing Scholarship America's US-only footprint with cross-border scholarship flows — comparable services but operating internationally and outside direct US competition.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Scholarship America social profiles
Digital presenceScholarship America compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Scholarship America financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Scholarship America leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Scholarship America funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Scholarship America M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Scholarship America
What does Scholarship America do?
Scholarship America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that administers end-to-end scholarship programs on behalf of paying sponsors (corporations, foundations, government agencies, and individuals). Services span program design, eligibility criteria development, application management, recipient selection, payment disbursement, compliance, and impact reporting. The organization also operates branded programs such as Dollars for Scholars community chapters, the Dream Award flagship scholarship, the Dreamkeepers emergency aid program, and the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund, and runs an online portal where students browse and apply for open scholarships.
Is Scholarship America a public or private company?
Scholarship America is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Scholarship America founded?
Scholarship America was founded in 1958. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Scholarship America based?
Scholarship America is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Scholarship America make money?
One revenue line is on record: scholarship Administration Services.
Who are Scholarship America's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are QuestBridge, United Negro College Fund (UNCF), Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Jack Kent Cooke Foundation and National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Lumina Foundation is listed as a broad incumbent. Submittable is listed as an others. Emerging players are Foundant Technologies and SmarterSelect. International Scholarship & Tuition Services (ISTS) is listed as a regional player.
Does Scholarship America have an API?
No public API is recorded for Scholarship America.
What industry is Scholarship America in?
Scholarship America's product category is Nonprofit Scholarship Administration Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADAHAC, Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts, with a secondary code of EDAIAOAI, Corporate & Employer-Sponsored Scholarships. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8300.