“College doesn’t happen by chance,” said the folks at Scholarship America, a non-profit organization. Education, specifically in the tertiary level, has become more of a privilege than a right, given the rising costs of quality instruction. As a result, not all graduating high school seniors will have the chance to pursue their academic interests for lack of money and opportunity.

Scholarship America aims to break this chain by providing students the financial help they need to be able to attend college. This vision started way back in 1958, when optometrist Dr. Irving Fradkin thought of a simple yet profound idea that can put students through college. He suggested, that one dollar donated from each member of the community is enough to financially support all the incoming college freshmen. He called his plan “Dollars for Scholars”. Today, this ambitious plan has turned into one of the largest educational support organizations in the country – Scholarship America.

Scholarship America’s programs include Dr. Fradkin’s initiative, Dollars for Scholars, now found in over a thousand communities across the country. The organization also offers Scholarship Management Services, which makes it easy for other foundations as well as individuals to provide financial support to students in need.  In over 30 active years of the service, more than one million students received an accumulated sum of $2 billion dollars in scholarship. Meanwhile, their program, Dreamkeepers, provides assistance to students who are in need of short-term financial aid.

Because of their consistent support to the youth, Scholarship America has been awarded a Four-Star ranking by Charity Navigator. The org has maintained this rank for nine consecutive years, and in between was also included in the list of “10 Best Charities Everyone’s Heard Of.” The American Institute of Philanthropy’s Charity Watch also gave them an A+ rating.

Keeping students’ dreams alive, Scholarship America plays a big role in shaping the future of the young generation.