9/11 descendants scholarship event to honor families ahead of 25th remembrance

A scholarship reception at 3 World Trade Center on Sept. 2 will announce six inaugural college awards for descendants of families affected by 9/11-related illnesses. The event comes as the 25th remembrance approaches and new CDC data show the World Trade Center Health Program continues to grow.

Why it matters: - The scholarship program helps children and grandchildren of 9/11 victims cover college costs while recognizing that the attacks’ health and financial consequences continue into a new generation. - The reception also underscores the scale of the ongoing 9/11 health crisis as the 25th remembrance approaches.

What happened: - The September 11th Descendants Scholarship Reception is set for Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET at 3 World Trade Center in New York City. - The event will announce the inaugural recipients of six $25,000 college tuition awards, totaling $150,000. - The Barasch & McGarry Charitable Foundation funded the awards. - The September 11 Memorial & Museum independently selected the recipients through its Visionary Leadership Council. - The recipients are graduating high school seniors from families that lost loved ones to 9/11-related illnesses. - Award presenters include Kenneth Feinberg, Carolyn Maloney, Peter King, Dr. Kerry Kelly and John Feal. - U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and other public officials and 9/11 leaders are also expected to attend.

The details: - CDC data from June 2026 show 145,275 current members of the World Trade Center Health Program. - That total includes 88,583 responders and 56,692 survivors. - Since the first report in 2015, cancer certifications across the 9/11 community have risen 1,680%. - Survivor cancer certifications have increased 4,066%, from 694 in September 2015 to 28,913 in June 2026. - The six scholarship recipients come from Rumson, N.J.; Baltimore; Staten Island; Manalapan, N.J.; Orangeburg, N.Y.; and Seaford, N.Y. - One recipient from Rumson will attend New Jersey Institute of Technology after losing a mother, a Battery Park resident, to colorectal cancer in April 2026. - One recipient from Baltimore will attend Penn State University after losing a grandfather, a Camden Fire Department responder, to lung cancer in 2017. - One Staten Island recipient will attend Hofstra University after losing a mother, an office worker in lower Manhattan, to lung cancer in 2014. - One Manalapan recipient will attend Marist University’s Florence campus after losing a grandfather, an NYPD officer, to lung cancer in 2021. - One Orangeburg recipient will attend Lafayette College after losing a grandfather, an electrician, to leukemia in 2021. - One Seaford recipient will attend Penn State University after losing a grandmother, who worked near Ground Zero, to gastric cancer in 2023. - The event background says these students grew up with illness, loss and financial pressure tied to the attacks.

Between the lines: - The scholarship effort frames 9/11 as a continuing family story, not just a historical event. - The rising cancer certification numbers show why advocates continue to push for long-term support for survivors and responders. - Bringing descendants to the center of the remembrance narrative signals a shift toward the next generation of affected families.

What's next: - The reception will publicly name the inaugural scholarship recipients on Wednesday. - News desks can arrange interviews with six scholarship recipients, their families, 9/11 legal advocate Michael Barasch, and participating public officials and advocates. - The event is positioned as part of the broader 25th remembrance of the Sept. 11 attacks.

The bottom line: - The 9/11 legacy is still shaping lives, and this scholarship event aims to turn that lasting burden into direct support for students heading to college.