“My daughter is at a crucial point in her life and her education, but thankfully
her school is giving her what she needs to
succeed. Now she comes home
everyday proud of her grades, saying,
‘Mommy, look what I got on my
test!
Look what I got on my paper!’”
—Valarie Garland, WSF Scholarship Parent
established in 1993 to increase educational opportunities for low-income students and families in
Washington, D.C. To accomplish this, we operate two distinct scholarship programs:
the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (D.C. OSP) and the Signature Scholarship Program (SSP).
- WSF is the largest Kindergarten through 12th grade scholarship-granting organization in the District, distributing nearly $63.2 million in privately- and publicly-funded scholarships and serving more than 6,800 students in 15 years of operation
- Impressively, over 90% of our high school graduates have gone on to college
Stories of Success
Nancy and Consuelo Delgado
Before entering middle school, WSF alumna Nancy Delgado was living in Peru and didn’t speak a word of English. Now, as a sophomore at the University of Maryland (College Park), this former Signature Scholar is proud of her accomplishments; so is her mother, Nancy (and so are we). Read more.
Carlos and Pam Battle
Carlos is a sophomore at Georgetown Day School and a fourth year Opportunity Scholar. His mom, Pam, is committed to ensuring other D.C. families have the same access to a quality education. Read more.
Heather Prigg
Student Heather Prigg, a WSF Signature Scholar, spoke at WSF's 2007 graduation celebration just days before her own graduation from Archbishop Carroll High School. Over 300 guests and eighth and twelfth grade graduates attended the event entitled "Celebrating Smart Choices and Bright Futures" at the historic Lincoln Theatre. In the fall of 2007, Heather began as a freshman at Hamilton College in New York. Read more.
Carmen, Richard, and Ronald Holassie with D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty
Scholarship parent Carmen Hollassie brought her two sons - both D.C. Opportunity Scholarship recipients - to a local Hillbrook Neighborhood Civic Association Meeting to connect with Mayor Fenty and show support for his City-wide education reform initiatives. In fact, Carmen, Ronald, and the Mayor share a passion for swimming and are all active at the Takoma Community Center pool where Ronald, a 10th grader at Archbishop Carroll High School, swims competitively. Read more.
News, Events, and Announcements
For Families
- Attention D.C. Families! Scholarships are still available to eligible applicants for the 2008-2009 school year! The application deadline for the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program is May 28th.
- New! Attend our “School Fair” on Thursday, May 15th, from 6:00-8:30 PM at the Thurgood Marshall Center (1816 12th St., NW) to learn about our programs, complete application paperwork, meet representatives from non-public schools in D.C. participating in our programs, and learn about their admissions procedures. WSF will also be accepting renewal paperwork for current scholarship recipients in both of our programs. Click here or call our office for more information and to see if you are eligible.
WSF News
- New! Our Spring 2008 Newsletter is now available. Read the PDF version here, or call our office to receive a copy.
- New! The Washington Post endorses WSF’s D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program and encourages the U.S. Congress to renew the program’s funding ahead of Mayor Adrian Fenty’s testimony before a House appropriations subcommittee. Read the lead editorial entitled “Vouching for Vouchers."
- New! WSF Scholarship Parent April Cole-Walton submits a Letter to the Editor of The Washington Post about the life-changing experiences afforded to her family through school choice. Read the published Letter here.
- Third Georgetown study finds families overwhelmingly satisfied with WSF's D.C.
Opportunity Scholarship Program.
Read WSF's press release, Georgetown University's press release, articles in The Washington Post and The Examiner, and download the study. - As part of a bold school reform plan, local leaders announce support for continued federal investments in – and reauthorization of – the D.C. OSP, along with continued additional funding for D.C. public and charter schools. Read the full press release.
- New poll released by the Greater Washington Urban League shows D.C. residents approve of federal funding for WSF's D.C. OSP, D.C. public schools, and charter schools as part of a comprehensive approach to improve all local schools. Download the poll results.