Simply put, Dollars for Scholars is a time-tested way to manage, grow and maximize the benefits of either a new or an existing scholarship program. Dollars for Scholars proves the ability of one person to change the world for the better. In 1958, Irving Fradkin had the idea that if everyone in his hometown of Fall River, Mass., would give only $1, the community would have a sizeable scholarship program for its kids. The idea spread from there and Dollars for Scholars grew into the multi-program Scholarship America organization. Since 1958, Dollars for Scholars and its sister programs in Scholarship America have awarded more than $1 billion in scholarships to more than 1 million students. . That has made Scholarship America the nation's largest private scholarship and educational support organization. Our private scholarships are more important each year. Whether it's the rising cost of tuition and fees or the growing amount of debt students are acquiring, Dollars for Scholars scholarships are critical to many students. In addition to the financial help, Dollars for Scholars scholarships encourage students to do their best by letting them know that there is an entire community of volunteers willing to support them and help them succeed. Another benefit of Dollars for Scholars is our nationwide Collegiate Partner program. These schools pledge to apply at least the first $2,500 of a Dollars for Scholars scholarship to unmet need, or, if there is no unmet need, to student loans. In this way, our program has become an effective way of reducing student debt. Many Collegiate Partners - UCLA, USC, Cal State Northridge, Cal State Dominguez Hills and others - go further and agree to match part or all of Dollars for Scholars scholarships, effectively doubling the efforts of our volunteers in many cases. In supporting California Dollars for Scholars, you are making an investment that will grow exponentially in the future. You will be helping more communities and groups to form scholarship chapters. Each new chapter potentially represents thousands and thousands of new scholarship dollars for Californians in the years to come.