In today’s society, there are countless individuals living with a range of disabilities. Despite the challenges they face daily, many of these individuals strive to pursue higher education and achieve academic success. However, obtaining a degree can be expensive and financially straining for anyone – this is where scholarship programs come in.
There are numerous scholarship programs available for students with disabilities that offer financial assistance to help them achieve their goals. Below is a list of 19 scholarships for students with disabilities.
1. National Federation of the Blind Scholarship Program: This program offers thirty scholarships annually ranging from $3,000 to $12,000 to legally blind students who will be attending college or graduate school.
2. American Association on Health and Disability Scholarship Program: The AAHD awards multiple scholarships up to $1,000 each year for undergraduate or graduate level studies related to disability advocacy or policy.
3. Google Lime Scholarship for Students with Disabilities: Recipients receive an award package including a $10,000 scholarship as well as an invitation to attend the annual Google Scholars Retreat held at one of Google’s headquarters.
4. Microsoft Disability Scholarship: This scholarship provides financial support up to $20,000 per year for tuition and other expenses associated with pursuing an undergraduate degree in computer science or related fields at any accredited institution around the world.
5. Anne Ford and Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarships: Offered by The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), this program rewards high-achieving high school seniors who have documented learning disabilities such as dyslexia or ADHD with four-year college scholarships worth up to $25,000 per year
6. The Ethel Louise Armstrong Foundation Scholarship: Offers various amounts of money towards educational expenses every year according to its budget aimed at helping women who have physical impairments attain higher education degrees
7. The Ability Center Scholarship Program: Provides ten scholarships each valued at $2k annually dedicated towards supporting those who possess physical impairments in obtaining higher education degrees.
8. The Travis Roy Foundation Grant Program: This program awards grants up to $5,000 annually to students with spinal cord injuries looking for resources and funding to help pursue their educational goals.
9. 180 Medical College Scholarship Program: Created by a company that specializes in providing medical supplies, this program offers seven scholarships worth $1k each year for individuals living with spinal cord injuries or other physical disabilities who are pursuing undergraduate or graduate studies
10. Karman Healthcare Mobility Disability Scholarship: A program that rewards one student every year a sum of $500 towards his/her educational expenses as part of its mission to promote mobility independence among people with disabilities.
11. The Kelly Law Team Annual Down Syndrome Scholarships: Awards five annual scholarships worth $1,000 each for individuals affected by Down syndrome seeking higher education opportunities.
12. Autism Society of America Scholarships: Offers four different scholarship programs ranging from $5000 to $10000 aimed at supporting post-secondary education goals for autistic students.
13. Epilepsy Foundation Scholarships: Provides financial assistance through various scholarship programs — such as the UCB Family Epilepsy Scholarship Program and the Dravet Syndrome Scholarship — dedicated towards helping those suffering from epilepsy achieve academic success.
14. National Hemophilia Foundation Scholarships – Offered in partnership with several pharmaceutical companies like CSL Behring, Pfizer Inc., and Biogen Idec Hemophilia, this foundation provides numerous scholarship opportunities intended both patients diagnosed with bleeding disorders such as hemophilia or von Willebrand disease along with their families who may be facing financial hardship due to these illnesses
15. United Cerebral Palsy Association Scholarships – Offers multiple scholarships yearly ranging from $1000-$2500 designed specifically for high school seniors planning on attending college despite having cerebral palsy
16. Muscular Dystrophy Association Scholarships – This organization is committed to assisting young adults facing muscular dystrophy with a scholarship program that provides financial aid up to $4,000 yearly.
17. Spina Bifida Association Scholarships: Provides scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,000 for individuals living with spina bifida who are seeking higher education opportunities.
18. Learning Disabilities Association of America Scholarships – Offers multiple scholarships every year designed to assist students pursuing an undergraduate degree despite facing challenges associated with learning disabilities
19. Tourette Association of America Youth Ambassador Program and Scholarship: A program that offers up to three high school seniors the chance to become ambassadors for the association along with receiving a scholarship worth between $1k-$5k each
These scholarship programs listed above have helped numerous students succeed in their academic pursuits despite any physical or cognitive challenges they may face. It is important for all students with disabilities and their families to know about these resources so that they can take advantage of them when needed.