The Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund
The Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund supports financially needy dependent children, spouses, and domestic partners of 9/11 victims.
The Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund will end in 2030.
The Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund
On September 11, 2001, the unthinkable happened, and our nation was forever changed. Every American was hit extremely hard that day, especially children whose parents died or were permanently disabled as a result of the attacks. In immediate response, Scholarship America helped establish the Families of Freedom Fund to support those dependents. It’s been our honor and privilege to serve them for years. Since 2001, we have awarded over $193 million to 3,877 students.
The Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund will end in 2030.
Please visit the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund website to learn more and meet some of the students we have supported.
Eligibility
Only individuals registered with the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund are eligible to apply.
Permanently disabled individuals must be deemed disabled by the Social Security Administration and have successfully completed the Families of Freedom registration process prior to September 30, 2016.
For detailed information, review the eligibility guidelines on the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund website.
Application Periods
Applications must be submitted within the periods listed below. Late applications will not be accepted.
- 2026-2027 Full-Year: May 5, 2026 – August 5, 2026
- Fall 2026 Term: August 15, 2026 – October 15, 2026
- Spring 2027 Term: December 15, 2026 – February 15, 2027
Eligible Uses of Funds
- Scholarships may be used to attend an accredited or Bonafide vocational-technical school, trade school, two-year college, or university.
- Funds are only available for undergraduate study.
- Families of Freedom Scholarships are available for postsecondary study only. The Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund does not provide scholarships for elementary or secondary school.
- Families of Freedom Scholarship recipients may receive need-based scholarship awards for up to four years, or the equivalent if attendance is part-time, depending on total funding available.
- Eligibility for scholarship assistance is always based on financial need, as calculated by our financial need formula.
- Families of Freedom Scholarships are not provided to pay tuition or student loans retroactively.
- Although conditions may change over time, including the percentage of financial need covered, retroactive payments will not be made from the Fund to past recipients.
Staying Eligible
- Grades are not considered in determining initial eligibility for Families of Freedom scholarships or the value of scholarship awards. However, a transcript of grades is required to verify enrollment and course completion for prior terms.
- Students must apply each year for awards from the Fund in order to determine continued eligibility and award amount.
- Eligibility for scholarship assistance is always based on financial need. Award amounts for eligible students may change yearly, based on changes in family finances, changes in tuition rates, and current actuarial projections for the Fund.
Awards
Awards are based on a percentage of calculated financial need, not a percentage of the total school or college cost. Because of this, award amounts differ from student to student. The formula used to determine a student’s award amount is as follows:
School Cost
– SPC (Specified Parent Contribution)
– Other Aid
Financial Need
Award Amount = Financial Need x % of need paid by Families of Freedom
*Percent of need changes each year based on annual actuarial review
While the standard formula considers a wide range of income and assets in determining financial need, the Fund does not consider:
- Nontaxable income
- 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund assets
- Retirement funds
- Value of the family residence
- Student earnings
In addition, the first $500,000 of family assets (cash, checking account, savings account, and cash value of stocks) is ignored in the financial needs calculation. However, interest income from the Victim Compensation Fund awards that families have invested is included in the need calculation, as it is often impossible to separate this investment income from the rest of the interest income that people report on their tax returns.
Requirements
As part of your application, you must upload the following:
- A current, complete transcript of grades. Grade reports are not accepted. Transcripts must display:
- Student name
- School name
- Grades
- Credit hours for each course and term in which each course was taken.
- Copy of the first two pages of the most recently filed IRS Form 1040 used for the Financial Information section of the application. Please black out all Social Security numbers and bank account information.
- Copy of SSA Disability Letter for permanently disabled individuals and qualifying family members, upload proof of receiving Social Security Disability Benefits from the Social Security Administration. The letter must be dated within three months of the application and must indicate that the permanently disabled individual is receiving monthly disability benefits.
Your application is not complete unless all required materials are submitted electronically.
