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The Community Scholarship Fund of Barrington is a non-profit, volunteer organization, which raises money and awards scholarships to Barrington students. Community Scholarship Fund is the oldest community-based scholarship organization in Rhode Island and the second oldest in the country.

The Community Scholarship Fund was founded in 1959 as the Citizens Scholarship Foundation when a number of local organizations were raising scholarship money to help Barrington students offset the high cost of a college education. One of the organizations, the Barrington Kiwanis Club, recognized the need to coordinate the efforts of these community groups and created the Citizens’ Scholarship Foundation to serve as the focus for community-based scholarship programs.

Today, the Community Scholarship Fund of Barrington is continuing to raise funds and distribute needs-based scholarships and to-date, has awarded over 1,000 scholarships to Barrington students. In 2014, we changed our name to the Community Scholarship Fund to reflect the broad-based support the fund receives from businesses, organizations, and individuals in the Barrington community.

Students Raised the First Scholarship Funds

The first scholarship funds were raised by students when members of the Barrington High School student council and the Honors Group donated $1.00 each to join CSF in 1959. The students used the $48.00 they raised to print donor cards and went door-to-door asking each Barrington resident to donate $1.00 for scholarships. They raised $2,450 and began the rich tradition of community-supported scholarships in Barrington and Rhode Island.

In 1960, six local organizations raised more than $100 each to create the first named scholarships: The Barrington Junior Chamber of Commerce, Nayatt PTA, Barrington Woman’s Club, Barrington High School Association, Barrington Post, American Legion, and the Barrington Democratic Club. Today, the Community Scholarship Fund distributes funds for 42 named scholarships