Scholarship America

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.

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

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

• Scholarship administration services
• Nonprofit scholarship management
• Corporate scholarship programs
• Emergency student aid
• Education grant services

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. 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

Core 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

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• OportunminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 June 2026Oportun, 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.
• FlywirecoreTechnology or Integration · 9 June 2026Flywire 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 SolutionsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 May 2026Intact 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 ExpressminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 May 2026American 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 FoodscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 April 2026US 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 CompanyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2026Scholarship 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 GroupminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 February 2026California 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.
• GenerationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 November 2025Generation 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.
• SubmittablecoreTechnology or Integration · 22 October 2025Scholarship 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 FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLumina 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 FuturescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerImaginable Futures sponsors the Partner Convening Webinar Series, focusing on student parent support and equity in higher education.
• The Kresge FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Kresge Foundation participates in Scholarship America's Partner Convening Webinar Series, contributing to discussions on scholarship outreach and equity-centered design.
• AmazoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazon sponsors the Partner Convening Webinar Series, supporting thought leadership content on scholarship innovation.
• Wells FargocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWells Fargo sponsors the Partner Convening Webinar Series, supporting educational equity initiatives.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct 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

• Xx.com/ScholAmerica
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ScholarshipAmerica
• Facebookfacebook.com/ScholarshipAmerica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scholarship-america
• Instagraminstagram.com/scholamerica

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Scholarship America