New York – September 16, 2026 -- Scholarship America has distributed $193 million to 3,877 students through the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund over the 25 years since the fund's creation in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks.
Fund draws support from more than 20,000 donors including Citi and Strada Education Foundation
Scholarship America helped establish the fund in the direct aftermath of the 2001 attacks and has administered it continuously since, targeting children who lost a parent or whose parent became permanently disabled as a result of the attacks and subsequent recovery efforts. More than 20,000 individuals, corporations, foundations, and organizations have contributed to the fund, with Citi and Strada Education Foundation named as longtime supporters.
Eligibility criteria expanded to cover children of workers with service-linked chronic illnesses
The fund's scope has widened to include children of rescue and rebuilding workers who developed long-term and chronic illnesses tied to their service at Ground Zero, nearly doubling the pool of eligible students. Brandee McHale, Head of Community Investing and Development at Citi and President of the Citi Foundation, said the organizations behind the fund recognized early that the attacks' impact would extend across generations.
Fund's active commitment period runs through 2030
Scholarship America confirmed the fund will continue supporting beneficiaries through 2030, when its youngest recipients are expected to complete undergraduate degrees. Mike Nylund, President and CEO of Scholarship America, said the organization has been honored to help keep the twenty-five-year-old promise to affected families, citing graduations, career launches, and community contributions among the fund's outcomes.