Scholarship America Honors T-Mobile, American Airlines, CVS Health, Elevance Health and Other Outstanding Sponsors at 2026 Irving Innovation Awards

MINNEAPOLIS – August 26, 2026 – Scholarship America today announced the honorees of the 2026 Irving Innovation Awards: seven scholarship sponsors and two Dollars for Scholars community honorees whose programs have most powerfully reimagined student support this year. The awards will be presented Wednesday, September 23, at The Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, D.C. Named for organization founder Dr. Irving Fradkin, the evening will bring together executives, philanthropists, and educational leaders to celebrate this year’s honorees. 

The event is made possible by the generous support of presenting sponsor Voya Financial, whose partnership reflects a shared commitment to expanding opportunity for students nationwide. 

This year’s honorees stood out because their programs place students at the center of every decision, from removing barriers for learners facing financial need to creating pathways that meet students wherever they are in their educational journey. Scholarship America’s network of more than 1,000 corporate, foundation and individual sponsors and 375 Dollars for Scholars chapters has distributed $6 billion to more than 3.5 million students since the organization’s founding, making it the nation’s largest administrator of scholarships.  

This year’s award winners represent some of the most forward-thinking approaches within that growing national network. “Innovation has been a constant throughout Scholarship America’s history,” said Mike Nylund, Scholarship America President & CEO. “This year’s Irving Innovation Award winners have all reimagined what it means to support students, ensuring their scholarships make a profound difference for individual learners as well as a tangible impact on their industries and communities.” 

Scholarship America is proud to honor these outstanding program sponsors and Dollars for Scholars chapters. 

American Airlines Education Foundation

American Airlines is one of the world’s largest airlines, operating an extensive network of flights connecting customers across the globe. The American Airlines Education Foundation awarded nearly $1 million in scholarships to more than 350 children and dependents of American Airlines team members in 2025. This year, in celebration of American’s centennial, the Education Foundation is working with Scholarship America to award an additional 100 scholarships, which students can use for full-time undergraduate study at any accredited college, university or vocational program worldwide.  

CVS Health Foundation

CVS Health Foundation’s Children of Colleagues Scholarship helps ease the financial burden of higher education for employees’ families while creating opportunities for the next generation to succeed. The program awarded 480 scholarships this year to children of full-time employees pursuing all kinds of college and trade pathways. The Foundation ensures the benefit is within reach for employees across the organization, demonstrating that caring for employees means supporting their families and strengthening the communities they serve. 

Dallas College Foundation  

The Dallas College Pathway Success Award Program is a unique scholarship that supports students who have completed their education at Dallas College and aim to work toward a four-year degree at any of seven partner universities across North Texas. The Pathway Success Award provides up to $1,000 per semester to qualifying recipients; funds can be used for tuition, or to help defray living expenses, emergencies, or other costs associated with being a student.  

Dominion Energy   

Dominion Energy is committed to expanding educational access, cultivating future talent that is committed to the company’s mission, and helping to build a skilled talent pipeline for the energy industry. Through the Dominion Energy Educational Equity Scholarship Program, the company provides scholarships up to $10,000 to students who reside in Connecticut, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia or West Virginia, supporting students throughout their home region as they pursue college, vocational or trade school.    

Elevance Health  

Elevance Health supports scholarship programs that help prepare the next generation of professionals while addressing the unique workforce needs of the communities it serves. Through scholarships funded by Elevance Health and its affiliated health plans, students across the country receive financial support to pursue careers in healthcare and other high-demand fields. By expanding access to education and helping students prepare for in-demand careers in healthcare related fields, these programs strengthen local workforces, improve access to care, and support healthier communities. 

T-Mobile  

The T-Mobile Scholars Program demonstrates a powerful commitment to investing in employees and their families. T-Mobile provides 110 scholarships to dependents of its employees, including ten renewable fully-funded awards and 100 one-time scholarships of $10,000 each.  Through this opportunity, T-Mobile empowers eligible students to pursue their academic and career goals. By recognizing academic achievement, leadership, and potential, the program reinforces T-Mobile’s culture of support, and creates lasting impact for families and communities.  

Wells Fargo  

Wells Fargo has served American families and businesses for more than a century through its banking, investment, and lending services. Wells Fargo is committed to helping U.S. military veterans complete postsecondary education and succeed in a competitive civilian job market. Recognizing that unexpected housing, medical, childcare and transportation expenses can force students to drop out before completing their program, the Wells Fargo Veterans Emergency Grant provides fast, flexible assistance up to $1,000.  These just-in-time grants ensure that student veterans and the spouses or widows and widowers of disabled veterans do not have to choose between paying the bills and staying in school. 

Community Impact Award: Greater New York Chinese Dollars for Scholars (Whitestone, NY)  

Established in 2004, the goal of the Greater New York Chinese Dollars for Scholars is to mobilize community-based fundraising for scholarships awarded to outstanding students of Chinese descent in the New York City metro area. The chapter was selected for the 2026 Community Impact Award due to their frequent collaboration and generous sharing with their fellow chapters, and for the unique opportunities they offer their students: speaking events, mentoring, resume workshops, college prep nights and more.  

Community Champion: Terry Goings, Calvin Coolidge Alumni Association Dollars for Scholars (Washington, D.C.)  

The Calvin Coolidge Alumni Association, Inc., established in 1986, is a Washington, DC community-based nonprofit organization, built on giving back to the community. As president of the neighborhood Parent Teacher Student Organization (PTSO), Terry led the fight to keep Coolidge High School’s doors open four years ago, and continues to show his dedication to uplifting students and the community they live in. As one of his fellow volunteers says, “Terry will always be a champion to us!”  

Scholarship America is deeply grateful to the sponsors whose generosity makes the 2026 Irving Innovation Awards possible. The organization extends sincere thanks to presenting sponsor Voya Financial, along with Lumina Foundation, DLA Piper, New York Life, Wells Fargo, United Health Foundation, Amazon, ITW, Imaginable Futures, Hershey’s, J.P. Morgan and Dominion Energy.  

More information about the Irving Innovation Awards ceremony and recipients, including how to attend, is available here.  

Scholarship America is a non-profit organization that eliminates barriers to educational success so that students can pursue their dreams. Since 1958, Scholarship America has distributed $6 billion to more than 3.5 million students.  

The organization’s partners include nearly half of the Fortune 500, and 40 of America’s 50 largest companies. On behalf of our sponsors, Scholarship America administers academic, workforce, upskilling, emergency aid and other scholarship supports that students need to succeed.  Learn more at scholarshipamerica.org. 

Claire Berge Schmidt
Associate Vice President, Marketing
cbergeschmidt@scholarshipamerica.org
(952) 830-7391