Scholarships for Students With Disabilities
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Updated on September 4, 2024
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Many scholarships exist to help students with specific disabilities continue their education. Learn about scholarships for people with disabilities.
The cost of a college education can pose a significant challenge for many students, especially for those with disabilities.
However, scholarships and other forms of financial aid are available for students with disabilities to assist them in advancing their education and securing a job post-graduation. These awards can significantly lower the cost of earning a degree by thousands of dollars and do not have to be repaid.
Read on to learn more about the range of scholarships available for students with disabilities.
Scholarships for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students
Below, you’ll find some scholarships specifically for students who are deaf and hard of hearing.
Sertoma Hard of Hearing or Deaf Scholarship
- Eligibility: The volunteer organization Sertoma works to improve the quality of life of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Applicants with 40dB bilateral hearing loss enrolled full-time in a bachelor’s degree program may apply. Students need a 3.2 GPA or higher.
- Deadline: March 31
- Award amount: $1,000
Graeme Clark Scholarship
- Eligibility: Cochlear Americas, a distributor of implants that treat hearing loss, offers this annual scholarship named in memory of the professor whose research led to the development of the “bionic ear.” Applicants must have a Cochlear Nucleus, Baha, or Osia implant and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Deadline: March 31
- Award amount: $2,000 per year
Help America Hear Scholarship
- Eligibility: High school seniors who are hard of hearing may apply for this annual scholarship. The application includes an essay that showcases the applicant’s creativity, life experiences, and research ability.
- Deadline: April 2
- Award amount: $4,000 and two hearing aids
AG Bell College Scholarship
- Eligibility: The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing provides multiple scholarships to full-time students who have bilateral hearing loss, use listening and spoken language to communicate, and who are pursuing a 2 or 4-year degree at an accredited institution.
- Deadline: Early March
- Award amount: $1,500-$2,500
Gallaudet’s Merit-Based Scholarship Awards
- Eligibility: Gallaudet University, a private university catering to deaf and hard of hearing students, offers merit-based scholarships to students with outstanding academic and personal achievements. Students are automatically considered for scholarships once admitted.
- Deadline: May 15
- Award amount: $2,000 – $20,000
Scholarships for Students With Visual Impairments
Find some scholarships that help students with visual disabilities pay for college.
Team See Possibilities Scholarship
- Eligibility: Applicants must meet Supplemental Security Income guidelines to be considered legally blind. Students may pursue undergraduate or graduate degrees or a professional trade. In 2023, the organization awarded over 20 scholarships. In addition to the financial award, students also benefit from the organization’s mentorship program.
- Deadline: April 30
- Award amount: $5,000
Lighthouse Guild Scholarships
- Eligibility: The organization awards up to 17 scholarships each year to legally blind students across the country. First-year students may apply. The scholarship considers academic merit, and students can use funds for tuition, books, supplies, room and board, and other educational expenses.
- Deadline: March 31
- Award amount: Varies
Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Awards
- Eligibility: Learning Ally administers this scholarship for blind or visually impaired members who are earning their undergraduate or graduate degrees. Applicants must submit a written essay or video recording about their blindness or visual impairment and how Learning Ally has affected their life.
- Deadline: January 31
- Award amount: $3,000 and $6,000
American Council of the Blind’s Scholarship Program
- Eligibility: First-time, undergraduate, and graduate students who are legally blind can apply for this scholarship to help pay for tuition and fees as well as costs associated with assistive technology.
- Deadline: November to February
- Award amount: $2,000 to $7,000
National Federation of the Blind’s Scholarship Program
- Eligibility: The National Federation of the Blind offers 30 merit-based scholarships to blind, full-time students studying in the U.S. Finalists for each scholarship are announced in the spring and must attend the organization’s national convention to be selected.
- Deadline: March 31st
- Award Amount: $8,000
Scholarships for Students With Developmental Disabilities
If you have a developmental disability, here are some scholarships you might be eligible for.
Ruby’s Rainbow College Scholarship
- Eligibility: Ruby’s Rainbow supports scholarships for students with Down syndrome seeking postsecondary education and training. Applicants must be at least 18 by July 1 of the award year. The scholarship committee considers personal goals, accomplishments, and community impact.
- Deadline: April 15
- Award amount: $1,000-$10,000
Adults With Autism Scholarship
- Eligibility: Autism Delaware offers this scholarship to adults in the state seeking a college degree or postsecondary certification. Applicants must provide a cover letter discussing career plans, a resume, letters of recommendation, and evidence of an Autism Spectrum Disorder.
- Deadline: April 30
- Award amount: $1,000
Kerry Magro Scholarship Program
- Eligibility: Current high school and college students may apply for this annual award to attend a postsecondary institution in the 2024-2025 school year. The application requires a short biography, an Autism Spectrum diagnosis, a resume, a letter of reference, and an essay.
- Deadline: April 30
- Award amount: $500
ABC Law Centers Cerebral Palsy Scholarship
- Eligibility: This scholarship welcomes applications from students with cerebral palsy and a 3.0 or higher GPA seeking to enroll in an accredited college or university. The application requires an essay or a creative project.
- Deadline: July 31
- Award amount: $1,000
Synchrony Scholarship for Autistic Students of Color
- Eligibility: Students enrolled in various post-secondary education institutions are eligible to apply for this scholarship. Applicants must be from an underrepresented racial or ethnic minority group and, if selected as a finalist, provide proof of diagnosis.
- Deadline: April 22
- Award amount: $3,000
Scholarships for Students With Psychiatric Disabilities
Here are some scholarships for students with psychiatric disabilities, such as anxiety and bipolar disorder.
Jared Monroe Foundation Scholarship
- Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors and students in their first three years of college diagnosed with and in treatment for bipolar disorder may apply for this scholarship. The application requirements include an essay and student transcripts. Students can use the award for tuition, books, housing, and other educational expenses.
- Deadline: May 1
- Award amount: $500-$2,300
Elevate Mental Health Awareness Scholarship
- Eligibility: High school seniors and college undergraduate and graduate students may apply. Applicants must have personally experienced challenges related to mental health or have had people close to them experience mental health issues. All majors and GPAs considered.
- Deadline: November 30
- Award amount: $500
The Center for Reintegration Scholarship Program
- Eligibility: Individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or schizoaffective disorder may apply for this scholarship, which supports full-time and part-time students seeking a degree or certificate from accredited schools and training programs. The scholarship committee considers the student’s essay, recommendations, transcripts, and their cost of tuition and fees.
- Deadline: January 31
- Award amount: Varies
Bryent Smothermon PTSD Awareness Scholarship
- Eligibility: This scholarship is available to military veterans, their children, and spouses who have experienced PTSD as a result of military service and are currently in school. Applicants will have to submit an essay about how PTSD has impacted them and how they will help others who are going through similar challenges.
- Deadline: May 14
- Award amount: $1,000
Elevate Mental Health Awareness Scholarship
- Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students studying in the U.S. who have had personal experience with mental health issues or have witnessed loved ones facing mental health challenges are eligible for this scholarship. There is no GPA or major requirement to be considered.
- Deadline: November 30
- Award amount: $500
Other Scholarships for Students With Disabilities
The following are more scholarships for students with disabilities. You can also find additional scholarship resources through employers, private foundations, or civic organizations.
180 Medical Scholarship Program
- Eligibility: Applicants must be under a doctor’s care for conditions such as spinal cord injury, spina bifida, transverse myelitis, neurogenic bladder, or ostomy. 180 Medical provides home medical equipment to assist patients with spinal cord injuries and other conditions. The scholarship supports undergraduate study at two-year and four-year colleges or graduate study.
- Deadline: June 1
- Award amount: $1,000
Microsoft Disability Scholarship
- Eligibility: This disability scholarships program welcomes applications from high school seniors living with a disability who plan to study engineering, computer science, business, law, or related fields at a two- or four-year college. Applicants must have a 3.0 GPA or higher and demonstrate financial need.
- Deadline: March 13
- Award amount: $5,000 each year
Wells Fargo Scholarship Program for People with Disabilities
- Eligibility: Applicants must have an identified disability and a minimum 3.0 GPA. The scholarship accepts part-time and full-time students attending accredited two- or four-year colleges. Students may renew the award if they maintain at least a 2.5 GPA.
- Deadline: April 10
- Award amount: $1,250-$2,500
Google Lime Scholarship
- Eligibility: Undergraduate students with a visible or invisible disability who attend a university in the U.S. or Canada pursuing a computer science, computer engineering degree, or related field can apply for this scholarship.
- Deadline: April 21
- Award amount: $10,000 if you study in the U.S. and $5,000 if you study in Canada
The Johnson & Johnson Access-Ability Lime Scholarship
- Eligibility: The scholarship program is open to current undergraduate, graduate, MBA, or PhD students with a disability attending a 4-year university in the U.S. Students should be pursuing a healthcare or STEM-oriented degree with the goal of entering the healthcare industry.
- Deadline: April 7
- Award amount: $10,000
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