What Kind of Scholarships for Students with Disabilities are There?
There are a wide range of scholarships for students with disabilities. These awards aim to lessen the costs of pursuing a two year or four year degree or vocational program.
Some awards are for people with any disability by the ADA, DSM-V, IDEA, or other governing body.
There are several other awards that help students with a specific disability. For example, students with autism, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, blindness or diabetes could apply.
There are other criteria to qualify for disability scholarships. Eligible applicants with disabilities should be motivated. Also, giving back to the community is helpful to qualify for a scholarship.
In addition, grades and a high level of commitment to your goals are important for your application. You will also need to write a short essay as well as submit references.
The United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) awards four athletes $500 each. The USABA Scholarship applicants must be legally blind, have a 2.5 GPA or higher and enrolled full time in college.
Why Disability Scholarships Are Important to Help Pay for College?
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 19% of undergrads report having a disability. Of this total, 26% were veterans reported having a disability.
NCES defines disability as a physical or mental condition. One that limits one or more major life activities. The disability also affects how we move, communicate, and learn.
If you are a college student with a disability, a scholarship could be useful. Unlike taking out a student loan, it is financial aid you typically do not pay back. As a result, it may help finance your college degree.
List of Scholarships for Students with Disabilities
Check out our list of 1,073 disability scholarships scholarships worth $6M.
The WiseGeek Mental Health Well-Being Scholarship is a $500 scholarship open to college students who have experienced challenges with mental health or had those close to them who have.
Dedicated to continuing the legacy of AIDS educator and activist Pedro Zamora, the Pedro Zamora Young Leaders Scholarship supports the undergraduate academic pursuits of young activists (27 years of age or under) working in their communities who carry Pedro’s torch forward in pursuit of a bold vision that never again will a community be harmed because of fear, silence, discrimination, or stigma.
Using the HIV/AIDS activism movement as an example, the scholarship supports students taking up social justice work in its many forms and whose activism and work is inspired by their own passions, insights, originality, and conviction.
When the National AIDS Memorial launched the program in 2009, its focus was on selecting scholars who were pursuing careers and community work around HIV/AIDS. Today, the program has evolved, to support young students who are actively engaged in health and social justice issues in a variety of ways.
The City of Boston Disability Scholarship Contest is available for current college students who have a family member with a disability. Applicants or one of their family members must be employed in the public sector.
These military dependent scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit through an application process that is evaluated by a committee. Gruber and Miller scholarships for veterans’ dependents are for one year only. But recipients can re-apply and receive the award up to four times. Click to learn more and apply today!
The scholarship is open to any current high school senior, college student or graduate student who is a legal resident of the United States residing in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia and who is enrolled in a two to five-year post-secondary institution for the upcoming semester.
Candidates for this scholarship should have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher and be in good overall academic standing.
The Shaundrika Taylor Cancer Foundation, Inc. Scholarship was established to support of young adults affected by cancer, and are pursuing higher education. Recipients are selected by a committee based on applicants’ personal hardship and financial need. Must be enrolled in or accepted to an accredited institution.
Adoption STAR offers a confidential, reliable, experienced, passionate and compassionate authorized and licensed non-profit adoption agency. Since 2002, Adoption STAR has provided prospective adoptive parents with scholarships to adopt children with disabilities, who they fondly refer to as Shining Stars.
