In 2013, Scholarship America developed the Dream Award, a scholarship with impact.
We researched school statistics and census data and consulted with our experienced program designers to identify a population in need: students who’d overcome adversity to get into college, but whose financial aid and scholarship awards were only enough to help them pay for their freshman year.
Why The Dream Award is Different
We focused on a few major innovations:
- Increasing Access to Increase Impact: we ensured that the eligibility guidelines were clear, concise and wide-ranging.
- Financial Support that Follows the Student: the Dream Award is not only a renewable scholarship, but it grows by $1,000 each year to reflect the annually increasing cost of college attendance.
- Support Beyond the Scholarship: Scholarship America provides Dream Award Scholars with both virtual and in-person opportunities to connect with each other and with supporters and business leaders.
Big Dreams, Bright Futures
Our Dream Award Scholars are graduating with various degrees in many different fields of study. They’re following their passions such as science, language, social justice, entrepreneurship or public service.
And they’re continuing their education: half of all recipients have said they’re able to pursue a graduate or advanced degree thanks to the Dream Award. They’ve been able to take advantage of new opportunities to study and live abroad, to inspire younger family members and to give back to their communities—one Dream Award Scholar is even working as a teacher in the elementary school where she grew up.
By providing needed support to students who are poised to do great things, the Scholarship America Dream Award is built to make a real impact.
Meet the 2022 Dream Award Scholars here. Download our Dream Award Case Study to learn more details about how the Dream Award works toward greater equity in scholarships—and what it can do for students.
