Stars Scholarship Fund

What Stars Scholarship Fund does

Stars Scholarship Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in McAllen, Texas, founded in 2002 by Joe LaMantia Jr. and the LaMantia family, owners of L&F Distributors (Anheuser-Busch). The organization awards scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students who are permanent residents of 30 specified counties in South and West Texas and who are pursuing degrees at accredited U.S. colleges and universities. Since inception, Stars has disbursed over $42.7 million across 20,067 scholarships, with 520 recipients awarded $1,588,500 for the 2025–2026 academic year alone.

The organization runs two core programs: a Matching Program with 22 Texas colleges and universities (including UT Austin, Texas A&M, UTRGV, UTEP, Texas Tech, and several community colleges) where Stars consults with each institution's Financial Aid office and receives dollar-for-dollar matching on awards, and a General Program for students attending non-partner accredited institutions where Stars funds 100% of the scholarship. Applications are processed through a GrantInterface-based online portal; scholarships range from $250 to $5,000 per semester with a $2,000 average total award, and funds are disbursed directly to institutions rather than to students.

The funding engine is three annual Extravaganza galas held in the Rio Grande Valley, Laredo, and El Paso (sponsorship tiers $2,500–$30,000), which raised roughly $609,000 in 2025. Operating expenses are entirely underwritten by L&F Distributors, allowing 100% of donations to flow to scholarships — the organization's primary marketing differentiator. In 2024, the LaMantia family pledged $1 million toward a new Mental Health Initiative supporting Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) training at UTRGV (inaugural cohort of 36 students) and UTEP (36 students, Spring 2025 launch), with $130,000 gifts to each institution. Stars also partners with 5 school districts and operates a small staff of 1–10 employees.

Name

Stars Scholarship Fund

Legal name

Stars Scholarship Fund

Website

https://starsscholarship.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Stars Scholarship Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2002 in McAllen, Texas, awarding scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students from 30 counties in South and West Texas. It funds these scholarships through annual Extravaganza galas, 22 university matching partnerships, and operating-cost underwriting by L&F Distributors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Scholarship Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Scholarship fund services
• Higher education funding
• Nonprofit scholarships
• College financial aid
• Student grant programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Mcallen

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorships: Stars Scholarship Fund raises funds primarily through annual Extravaganza events (Rio Grande Valley, Laredo, El Paso) where corporate sponsors purchase table sponsorships. 100% of donations go directly to student scholarships as operating expenses are covered by L&F Distributors.
2. University Matching Funds: Partner universities match Stars Scholarship contributions dollar-for-dollar, effectively doubling the impact of funds raised. Stars commits over 90% of funds raised annually to these matching partnerships with 21+ Texas colleges and universities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Stars Scholarship Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that awards scholarships to academically qualified undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students residing in 30 counties of South and West Texas attending accredited U.S. colleges and universities. It operates two scholarship tracks—the Matching Program (dollar-for-dollar matching with 22 partner universities) and the General Program (funded 100% by Stars)—and administers Mental Health Initiatives supporting LCSW licensure. Funds are disbursed directly to institutions.

Product overview

Stars Scholarship Fund operates a scholarship awarding organization serving South and West Texas students. The core offering consists of two scholarship programs: the Matching Program (with 22 Texas college/university partners providing dollar-for-dollar matching) and the General Program (for students at other accredited institutions). The organization also runs Mental Health Initiatives through Licensed Clinical Social Worker partnerships with UTRGV and UTEP. Supporting infrastructure includes an online application portal, school district partnerships, university partnerships, and annual Extravaganza fundraising events. The organization has awarded over $42 million in scholarships to more than 20,000 students since inception.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stars Scholarship Program Annual scholarship program awarding funds to academically qualified undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students from South and West Texas attending accredited U.S. colleges and universities; disbursed directly to institutions for fall and spring semesters.
• Matching Program Scholarship track where 22+ Texas colleges and universities dollar-for-dollar match Stars Scholarship contributions; recipient selection coordinated with each institution's Financial Aid office, doubling scholarship impact.
• General Program Scholarship track for students attending accredited U.S. colleges and universities not in the Matching Program, with 100% of scholarship funding covered by Stars and disbursed directly to the institution.
• Mental Health Initiatives Initiative providing financial and logistical support to Master of Science in Social Work graduates pursuing Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensure at South and West Texas universities; covers 80% of supervision costs and licensing exam fees.
• Annual Extravaganza Fundraising Events Annual fundraising galas held in Rio Grande Valley, Laredo, and El Paso featuring live entertainment, auctions, and networking; serve as the primary fundraising mechanism for Stars scholarships, with corporate table sponsorships ranging from $2,500 to $30,000.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $42.7 million disbursed to 20,067 students since 2002
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

27 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 September 2024Second university partner for Mental Health Initiative. LaMantia family gifting more than $130,000 to College of Health Sciences to support 36 students in becoming LCSWs, projected to start Spring 2025. Addresses mental health provider shortage (1 per 810 people in El Paso County vs 1 per 320 nationally).
• University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024First university to implement Mental Health Initiative supporting Master of Science in Social Work graduates in becoming Licensed Clinical Social Workers. Program covers 80% of supervision costs and licensing exam fees for 36 inaugural students. LaMantia family and Stars gifting $130,000 with $1M family pledge for expansion.
• Harlingen ISDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Rio Grande Valley school district partner for 2025-2026 application cycle, allocating funds for district graduates.
• McAllen ISDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Major South Texas school district partner allocating funds specifically for Class of graduates to attend college via Stars Scholarships.
• United ISDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Laredo-area school district partner committed to helping graduates from their district receive Stars Scholarships.
• Sharyland ISDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017School district partner since 2017. Districts raise funds with confidence dollars go directly to graduates from their district via Stars Scholarships. Committed partnership through 2025-2026.
• El Paso ISDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014West Texas urban school district partner serving the El Paso region since expansion in 2014.
• Del Mar CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Matching Program partner in Corpus Christi, Texas. School agrees to match Stars contributions dollar-for-dollar and participates in recipient selection through Financial Aid office.
• El Paso Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003West Texas partner since 2014. Over 100 students have received support on their pathways to degrees through this partnership.
• Laredo CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Matching Program partner serving Laredo and Webb County region students with dollar-for-dollar fund matching.
• Schreiner UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Private university partner in Kerrville, Texas with successful partnership supporting Rio Grande Valley students in reaching academic goals.
• South Texas CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003McAllen-based community college where over 600 first-generation college students have attended through Stars partnership, focusing on improving quality of life for communities.
• St. Mary's UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003San Antonio-based private university partner recruiting talented students from South Texas with Stars filling financial gaps for first-generation students.
• Our Lady of the Lake UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003San Antonio partner providing private education access to Stars recipients, helping students achieve goals of earning a degree.
• Texas A&M International UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Laredo-based university serving majority first-generation college-bound students who cannot afford college degrees without financial aid and scholarships.
• Texas A&M UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003College Station flagship campus partner providing scholarship awards for talented, well-qualified students from South and West Texas.
• Texas A&M University Corpus ChristicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Minority serving institution partnering since 2014, helping at-risk students get degrees and make an impact on their communities.
• Texas A&M University KingsvillecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003South Texas partner university serving students from the Rio Grande Valley and surrounding counties.
• Texas State Technical CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Harlingen-based technical college where Stars scholarships have made it possible for over 400 students to achieve dreams of a technical career since 2004.
• Texas Tech UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Lubbock-based flagship partner committed to ensuring students with desire to pursue higher education are given opportunity.
• University of Texas at AustincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Premier partner where Stars Scholars maintain strong GPAs, make rapid progress toward degrees, and engage in leadership extracurricular activities.
• University of Texas at El PasocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003West Texas partner (84% Hispanic student body) with Mental Health Initiative partnership supporting LCSW students with $130,000 gift.
• University of Texas Health Science Center San AntoniocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Health science center partner dedicated to educating future healthcare providers in South and West Texas with Stars Scholarships helping fulfill mission.
• University of the Incarnate WordcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003San Antonio partner offering opportunities for students to continue education with Stars recipients focusing on studies with less financial worry.
• Texas Tech University Health Science Center El PasocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003West Texas health science center partner serving El Paso region students pursuing healthcare degrees.
• University of Texas at San AntoniocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003UTSA partner providing scholarship opportunities to students from the border region helping achieve higher educational goals.
• University of Texas Rio Grande ValleycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Valley-based university offering dollar-for-dollar scholarship match to Stars recipients. Partner for Mental Health Initiative with $130,000 gift for LCSW program launching 2024-2025.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• QuestBridge: National nonprofit connecting high-achieving low-income students to selective colleges through scholarship matching, similar to Stars' Matching Program with universities. Targets the same first-generation, low-income demographic.
• United Negro College Fund (UNCF): Long-established scholarship organization funding minority students attending college. Operates a similar model combining donor fundraising with university partnerships and direct-disbursement scholarship administration.
• Horatio Alger Association: National nonprofit providing need-based scholarships to high school students who have demonstrated integrity and perseverance in overcoming adversity. Comparable in need-based targeting and similar undergraduate scholarship structure to Stars' offerings.
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund: National scholarship provider focused on Hispanic students attending U.S. colleges and universities. Founder Joe LaMantia Jr. previously raised $5M+ and awarded 2,600+ scholarships through this organization over eight years (1994 onward), creating direct strategic and operational overlap with Stars' target population.
• Dell Scholars Program: Michael & Susan Dell Foundation scholarship program targeting low-income, highly motivated students who demonstrate grit and overcome obstacles to attend college. Directly comparable by serving first-generation, Pell-ineligible 'gap' students similar to Stars' primary segment.
• Thurgood Marshall College Fund: Provides scholarships and programmatic support to students attending historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and other community-based institutions. Comparable in serving underserved student populations through university partnership channels.
• Jack Kent Cooke Foundation: National scholarship foundation providing awards to high-achieving students with financial need for undergraduate and graduate study. Comparable in mission orientation toward need-based scholarships and recipient outcome tracking.
• Coca-Cola Scholars Program: Corporate-sponsored achievement-based scholarship program for high school seniors attending U.S. colleges. Comparable as a high-volume, corporate-backed scholarship organization with strong brand and direct-to-institution disbursement practices.
• Terry Foundation: Texas-based scholarship foundation providing merit-based scholarships to Texas residents attending Texas public universities. Highly comparable as a regional, Texas-focused scholarship organization serving many of the same partner institutions as Stars.

Regional players

• Greater Texas Foundation: Texas-focused education foundation supporting postsecondary access and success initiatives across the state. Comparable geographic focus (Texas students) and mission overlap on college access, though broader in programmatic scope than Stars.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/starsscholarship
• Facebookfacebook.com/starsscholarship
• Pinterestpinterest.com/starsscolarship
• Xx.com/Starsscholars02

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Stars Scholarship Fund