Linda Blake, recipient of the Meritus 2000 award.

Meritus College Fund, a grassroots nonprofit organization, was formed in 1996 as a result of conversations between community leaders and educators, which pinpointed a specific need: to bridge the gap between Federal and State grants, student loans and the costs to attend college. Thousands of very bright students graduate each year from the San Francisco public high schools forgo this opportunity due to the increasing costs of higher education. In addition, many face socio-economic and life challenges which make attending college a distant hope.

Meritus invites San Francisco public high school graduating seniors with GPA's between 3.0 and 3.7 to apply for the scholarship program. These are not the 4.0 students who have access to many scholarships, but the scholars who may have overcome personal, socio-economic, or family difficulties while still achieving an admirable record in high school.

While most scholarships are one-year grants leaving the student in a self-funding position to complete their studies, Meritus focuses on providing only FOUR-YEAR scholarships. Each Meritus Scholar receives $3,000 for each of the four years in college, or a scholarship totaling in $12,000. 100% of all donated funds go directly into student scholarships.

Donors are particularly involved in the progress of their students as scholars send personal updates to their funders each semester. Many grow into long-term friendships and mentoring relationships. Developing such relationships has allowed students to personall connect with an individual. This, in turn helps them understand the reciprocal nature of giving, and in a broader sense, the accountability they have toward their communities.

In addition to providing four year scholarships, Meritus supports its scholars with counseling, mentoring, leadership development and internships. Meritus prides itself on connecting students with caring adults and peers to help them face the challenges of college and to begin to think about the future. The funds for these programs are raised on an annual basis from individuals and foundations.

Since its founding, Meritus has raised nearly $3,000,000 in scholarship funds, has grown to over 400 donors and has assisted more than 250 college scholars in achieving their educational dreams!