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Meet our Founders...
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It was 1964 when Lydia Katzenbach, wife of then U.S. Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach, gathered a group of concerned Washington, DC parents and community leaders to establish the Negro Student Fund. They were able to persuade a few independent schools to admit black children on a consistent and regular basis. This action put into motion the beginning of an organization that has led the way in the economic and racial integration of independent schools in the Washington metropolitan community and the nation.
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Renamed the Black Student Fund (BSF) in 1975, the Fund’s
success in integrating the independent schools has been built on a combination of
assisting African-American students in the admissions process, making available
scholarship grants, and providing essential services that allow students to focus on their
education, complete high school and enter college. Over the decades, the goals of the Black Student Fund have matured, and are now focused on broader issues of advocacy and access for the black child, building an equitable learning environment in the schools for adults and students, while continuing to provide support services to students and families that facilitate academic and personal achievement. Today we continue to move low-income black children into the financial mainstream at a remarkable rate. We provide a unique set of support services and financial support that virtually assure students will reach their goals. |
The success of the Black Student Fund’s programs is evident in the results...
| Black Student Fund | National Average* | |
| Percent Completing High School | 99 | 84.1 |
| Percent Entering College | 97 | 43.1 |
| Percent Graduating from College | 86** | 26.7 |
| Percent Earning Advanced Degrees | 36 | 9 |
* US Bureau of the Census,
June 2002
** 130 BSF Alumni are currently attending college
Since 1985, 100% of BSF seniors have entered college.
