Since 1964, the Black Student Fund (BSF) has provided financial assistance and support services to Washington, DC metropolitan area African-American students, grades pre-kindergarten to 12, and their families. BSF-assisted students stay in school, graduate high school with distinction and enter college. 70% of these students are from one-parent households. Many are the first generation to progress to higher education. Established to racially desegregate the independent schools of the National Capital area, the Fund serves as an advocate for all black children and strives to assure that black students and their families have equal access to every educational opportunity. The Black Student Fund is dedicated to bringing people together by maintaining access to independent schools for black children from low to modest income households. The BSF was established in 1964 and provides scholarships as well as essential support services to black students in grades pre-kindergarten through twelve. The Black Student Fund prepares children for life and helps to create a rich, equitable educational environment in which students and adults from different racial and economic backgrounds benefit from regular interaction.