The Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund has announced that it has awarded more than $100 million in needs-based scholarships to families of victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Since the fund awarded its first scholarships in January 2002, a total of 2,568 children, spouses, and domestic partners of those who were killed or permanently disabled in the attacks and rescue operations have received scholarships to attend college, including $11.5 million awarded to students for the 2013-14 academic year. Launched with $100 million in donations from more than twenty thousand foundations, corporations, universities, and individuals and administered by Scholarship America, the fund is the largest private scholarship fund for dependents of victims of the September 11 attacks. With $95.6 million remaining in the fund and its assets expected to grow, FFSF plans to distribute the majority of its assets between 2009 and 2020, when most of the children affected by the attacks will be of college age.

"Reaching $100 million in scholarship awards is a huge milestone for the fund, and for the thousands of children and families who are being given a real chance to pursue their education dreams after these very painful tragedies," said Rhianna Quinn Roddy, the fund's executive director. "We are so thankful to our donors for their generous support of the fund, as we help more families move forward with their lives, and succeed in the future."

"After my nine siblings and I lost our father, a firefighter, on 9/11, there was no telling how our futures would turn out," said Joseph Palumbo, a scholarship recipient. "The scholarship has been instrumental not only for me and my brothers and sisters, but for so many other kids who lost parents on that day. It's inspiring to see that with each passing year, a new group of kids can get a chance to do whatever they chose to do in life, with the help of the fund."