One piece of advice that I always tell students in relation to the process of searching and applying for scholarships, is to break down and identify each and every thing that defines who you are as a student and as a person in general so you can search strategically and maximize your potential sources for financial aid.
If you’re a student with a disability, know that there are lots of great disability grants and scholarships out there that you may be eligible to apply for to help you pay for college.
Disability scholarships can stem from a wide variety of sources. First up we have the colleges and universities themselves. Whether you’re still in high school or currently enrolled in college, you can certainly reach out to your future or current institution’s financial aid office to inquire about scholarships that are specific to you.
Second, students with disabilities can also look into the US Department of Education’s TRIO Program, which aims to assist individuals with disadvantages (disabilities, low-income, first-generation) with the resources that they need to obtain a higher education degree.
In addition to leveraging those school-specific disability scholarships and the TRIO Program, you can find these types of scholarships for students being offered through large corporations, government organizations, disability groups, and non-profit organizations.
Since there are so many disability scholarship opportunities being offered in the latter category (non-college or university scholarships), in this post, I will focus more on those! Read on to learn about 25 great scholarship opportunities for disabled students.
Over 25 scholarships for disabled students
- AbbVie Immunology Scholarship
- Amount: $5,000 – $15,000
- Deadline: early January
- Eligibility:
- -For students with AS, CD, HS, JIA, Ps, PsA, RA, UC, or UV who are seeking an associates degree, undergraduate degree, graduate degree or Doctorate from an accredited United States (US) university/college
- -Must be a US citizen or a legal and permanent resident of the US
- John Barras Autism Scholarship
- Amount: $1,000
- Deadline: January 28
- Eligibility:
- -Open to individuals who have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder
- -Open to high school seniors, undergraduate, and graduate school students
- Baer Reintegration Scholarship
- Amount: Varies
- Deadline: January 31
- Eligibility:
- -Open to individuals who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or schizoaffective disorder
- -Must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident who is 18 or older and planning to attend a school in the United States
- American Council of the Blind Scholarship
- Amount: $2,000 – $7,500
- Deadline: February 15
- Eligibility:
- -Open to high school seniors, undergraduate, and graduate school students
- -Must show involvement in your local/surrounding community
- -Minimum 3.0 GPA
- -Must be legally blind
- Finnegan Diversity Scholarship
- Amount: $15,000
- Deadline: February 15
- Eligibility:
- -Open to undergraduate, graduate, and law school students
- -Must demonstrate committed interest in pursuing a career in intellectual property law
- BMO Capital Markets Lime Connect Equity Through Education Scholarship
- Amount: $5,000 – $10,000
- Deadline: February 21
- Eligibility:
- -Must be a current undergraduate or graduate student at a 4-year college or university in the US or Canada
- -Pursuing a degree in business/commerce, computer science, engineering, math, physics, statistics, or a related discipline
- -Students with all types of disabilities are encouraged to apply
- JED’s Student Voice of Mental Health Award
- Amount: $3,000
- Deadline: March 1
- Eligibility:
- -Must be an undergraduate student
- Microsoft Disability Scholarship
- Amount: $20,000
- Deadline: March 1
- Eligibility:
- -Must be a current high school senior living with a disability of any kind
- -Planning to attend a 2 or 4-year undergraduate program to study in one of the following areas: engineering, computer science, computer information systems, law, business, or a related field (e.g. paralegal, pre-law, finance, business administration, or marketing)
- -Must have financial need
- -Minimum 3.0 GPA
- PAF Scholarships for Survivors
- Amount: $3,000
- Deadline: March 9
- Eligibility:
- -Must be a US resident pursuing undergraduate or graduate studies who have been diagnosed with or treated for a cancer or chronic disease (see application page for more details)
- -Must be 25 years old or younger
- -Must be pursuing at least an Associate’s degree
- Arc Trust Fund Student Stipend Program
- Amount: $5,000
- Deadline: March 15
- Eligibility:
- -Open to undergraduate juniors and seniors, as well as graduate school students studying at institutions in the state of Washington
- -Must have a demonstrated interest and history in the field of intellectual or other developmental disabilities – do not need to have a disability to be eligible
- Joseph James Morelli Legacy Foundation Scholarship
- Amount: up to $2,500
- Deadline: March 17
- Eligibility:
- -Open to high school and undergraduate students pursuing degrees in STEM majors/areas of study
- -Can be studying at a community college, trade/technical school, or four-year university
- -Must have a documented learning disability
- Jackson-Stricks Scholarship
- Amount: up to $10,000
- Deadline: March 25
- Eligibility:
- -Open to students with physical challenges pursuing academic study or vocational training which leads to independent living
- -Must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program in the New York Metropolitan Area
- Sertoma Scholarship
- Amount: $1,000
- Deadline: March 30
- Eligibility:
- -Open to students who are pursuing four-year undergraduate degrees
- -Must be a high school senior or current college student
- -Minimum GPA 3.2/4.0
- -Must have a minimum 40dB bilateral hearing loss, as evidenced on audiogram by an SRT & PTA of 40dB or greater in both ears
- -Only US citizens can apply
- Pine Cone Foundation Scholarship (on pause until 2022)
- Amount: up to $3,500
- Deadline: April 1 (this year application was extended to May 1)
- Eligibility:
- -Open to high school seniors planning on enrolling at a California community college
- -Must be a US citizen and California resident
- -Must have documentation of a specific learning disability – note: ADHD alone does not qualify
- NBCUniversal Tony Coelho Media Scholarship
- Amount: $5,625
- Deadline: May 20
- Eligibility:
- -Must be a high school senior, undergraduate, or graduate student in the US (citizenship not required!)
- -Be interested in pursuing a career in communications, media, or entertainment (all majors are welcome to apply)
- -Must self-identify as a person with any type of disability
- OAR Scholarships (multiple)
- Amount: $3,000
- Deadline: May (date TBD)
- Eligibility:
- -Must have an established autism diagnosis
- -Eligible individuals need to be enrolled on a full-time basis (minimum 6 credits) or be working toward certification or accreditation in a particular field
- -Open to high school seniors, college, and graduate school students
- CURE Cancer Support Scholarship
- Amount: $5,000
- Deadline: June 1
- Eligibility:
- -Open to students who were diagnosed with cancer and whose disease and related treatments placed a significant financial burden on them and their families
- -Must be a US citizen
- Amputee Coalition Scholarships
- Amount: $1,000 each
- Deadline: June 12
- Eligibility:
- -Open to full-time undergraduate students
- -Must be living with a congenital limb difference or an acquired amputation
- Springboard Foundation Disability Scholarship
- Amount: N/A
- Deadline: June 15
- Eligibility:
- -Must be a full-time undergraduate student attending an accredited four-year institution in the US
- -Can have a documented disability of any type
- John Weir Academic Scholarship
- Amount: $4,000
- Deadline: July 28
- Eligibility:
- -Must have a significant disability of any kind – for example, physical, visual, developmental, cognitive, hearing, learning, emotional, or other;
- -Planning to attend, or be in the first two years of, a 2- or 4-year college, university, or a trade school program, and
- -Must live in Washtenaw, Livingston, or Monroe County, Michigan
- ABC Law Centers Cerebral Palsy Scholarship
- Amount: $1,000
- Deadline: July 31
- Eligibility:
- -Open to high school seniors, undergraduate, and graduate school students
- -Must have cerebral palsy
- -Minimum 3.0 GPA
- DCCI Scholarship for Canadian Students with Disabilities
- Amount: $1,000
- Deadline: July 31
- Eligibility:
- -Must be a high school senior living in Canada
- -Should plan on pursuing a degree (at a Canadian university) in one of the following areas: healthcare, criminal justice, or community and social services
- Beyond Disability Scholarship
- Amount: $1,000
- Deadline: August 15
- Eligibility:
- -Open to high school seniors and college students
- -Must have a documented disability of any kind
- -Must be planning to attend a 2 or 4-year college or university
- Wells Fargo Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities
- Amount: $2,500
- Deadline: November 28
- Eligibility:
- -Open to high school seniors and current undergraduate students
- -Minimum 2.5 GPA
- Test Prep Insight Scholarship
- Amount: $1,500
- Deadline: November 30
- Eligibility:
- -Must be currently enrolled at or planning to attend a 2-4 year university, community college, or graduate school program located in the United States
- -Minimum 2.5 GPA
- -Must have a medically recognized physical or mental disability
- Grants for Disabled Graduate Students in the Sciences
- Amount: $1,000
- Deadline: December 1
- Eligibility:
- -Open to undergraduate seniors and graduate students
- AvaCare Medical Scholarship
- Amount: $1,000
- Deadline: December 1
- Eligibility:
- -Open to students who are working to better the lives of our customers, students who are pursuing a degree in the medical field
- -Must be a high school senior or currently enrolled undergraduate student
- Marion Huber Learning Through Listening Awards
- Amount: up to $6,000
- Deadline: December 31
- Eligibility:
- -Open to Learning Ally high school senior members with learning disabilities, who plan to continue their education after graduation