About Dollars for Scholars Chapters
What is a Dollars for Scholars chapter?
A Dollars for Scholars chapter is organized to provide local students with financial aid and with personal encouragement and support to actively pursue higher levels of academic achievement. The local community rallies around those seeking higher education to give them a boost and ensure they reach their highest potential.
Dollars for Scholars is a local, volunteer-operated, community based
scholarship foundation legally affiliated with Scholarship America. Chapters
may be organized by any group of interested citizens. Some are organized
around a particular school, neighborhood, or community organization.
A Dollars for Scholars chapter has five functions:
1. Develops a process for smooth and permanent operation of the chapter
2. Promotes recognition of the Dollars for Scholars program
3. Raises funds for student aid distribution
4. Distributes awards on a fair basis
5. Provides academic support and/or mentoring for students
Currently, more than 1200 Dollars for Scholars chapters are active nationwide. Dollars for Scholars is a program of Scholarship America, a national, nonprofit, student aid service organization. Scholarship America was founded in 1958 by Dr. Irving A. Fradkin in Fall River, Massachusetts, and incorporated as a national organization in 1961.
Interested in starting a chapter?
The key to establishing a successful Dollars for Scholars® chapter starts with gathering a strong core group of community leaders with a shared interest in the educational development of local students. Since this group will play an important leadership role in the formation of a local foundation—and since Dollars for Scholars works best when it has widespread support—it should represent a broad cross-section of the community.
Once the decision to affiliate with Dollars for Scholars has been made:
* Complete the forms for affiliation
* Elect chapter leadership
* Adopt chapter bylaws
* Determine chapter goals and objectives
All the organizational materials you need are contained in our “How to Organize a Dollars for Scholars Chapter Kit.” For more information, e-mail Brie Wells at California Dollars for Scholars.
Current chapters can also click the link to the left to log on to the Dollars for Scholars Chapter Portal.
Because College Doesn't Happen By Chance®.