About
The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis is a nonprofit organization founded in 1920 on the conviction that an educated society is essential to a healthy democracy. The Foundation provides access to postsecondary education to members of the St. Louis community who otherwise would not have the financial means to fulfill their educational goals, combining interest-free loans and grants with free student advising and policy advocacy. Over the last five years, students have received nearly 22 million dollars in interest-free loans and grants for postsecondary education from the Foundation.
Mission
The Foundation provides access to postsecondary education to members of the community who otherwise would not have the financial means to fulfill their educational goals. Its vision sees higher education as a catalyst — an agent of change for individuals, families, communities and nations — and imagines a community where doors are not closed to those who lack financial resources and postsecondary education is available to all with the potential to succeed.
What they do
- Interest-free loans: the Foundation's core function since its creation over 100 years ago, providing qualifying students from the St. Louis metropolitan region with interest-free, fee-free loans for higher education at accredited nonprofit institutions, in all fields of study except the ministry.
- Grants and scholarships: renewable awards that do not have to be repaid, offered in partnership with community organizations, foundations and corporations — including programs such as the Ava's Grace Scholarship, BJC Scholars Fund, Edward Jones Scholarship, and rootEd scholarships.
- Student advising: a Student Advising team engaged in critical support for thousands of students and families across the region, including help navigating college admission, financial aid and the FAFSA, plus workshops, emergency assistance, and the Flourish mental health support program.
- Advocacy: legislative priorities and a Policy Fellows program advocating for and with students.
History
The Foundation began in 1920 as a program created by Meta Bettman for the St. Louis section of the National Council of Jewish Women, making financial resources available to young Jewish St. Louisans of limited means; the first loan of 15 dollars helped a young immigrant woman attend business college. It incorporated as the St. Louis Jewish Scholarship Foundation in 1929, expanded eligibility to all qualified applicants regardless of religion in 1953, and became independent and non-sectarian as The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis in the 1960s. From 1960 to 2017 the ScholarShop resale stores generated revenue for Foundation programs. Faith Sandler became the inaugural executive director in 1989, the Student Advocate and Advising Program launched in 1994, and in 2009 the Foundation helped create St. Louis Graduates, a collaborative aimed at radically increasing postsecondary degree attainment. The Foundation marked its 100th anniversary in 2020.
Financials
Per IRS Form 990 data on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (EIN 43-6031234), for the fiscal year ending December 2023 the Foundation reported total revenue of approximately 11.8 million dollars (including about 8.3 million dollars in contributions and grants), total expenses of approximately 9.3 million dollars, and total assets of approximately 46.4 million dollars.
