The Scholar-Chessplayer Awards program was established in the 1980s, and is administered by the US Chess Federation and the US Chess Trust. This program is funded by the US Chess Trust and the National Scholastic Chess Foundation. These annual scholarships awarded by the U.S. Chess Trust, the National Scholastic Chess Foundation, and the USCF, are “intended to recognize and encourage high school junior or senior students who promote a positive image of chess.” High School students who have shown outstanding merits in academics, sportsmanship and chess were eligible to apply for these scholarships.