April, 2011 | DisabilityScholarships.us

Paralyzed Veterans of America Scholarships

Paralyzed Veterans of America scholarships works to provide disabled veterans scholarships to those who were disabled in the armed forces.

Paralyzed Veterans of America scholarships are provided by a nationally recognized non-profit organization of the same name. The organization works not only to provide disabled veterans scholarships but also with various other services to work towards making disabled veterans’ lives better in various ways. Whether working towards job opportunities, post injury activities, educating members or providing the Paralyzed Veterans of America scholarships, the group does what it can where it can.

Originally started in 1986, the scholarship program has served a large number of disabled veterans over time having given out at least $300,000 in award money since then. Every year the program runs making available financial aid to those who need the assistance and are member of the organization. That last part is really key here – in order to get access to a Paralyzed Veterans of America scholarship applicants must be members of the organization. While getting access to the scholarship is certainly a good reason to join the organization, PVA also provides services and assistance in other forms as well. If a student is disabled due to an injury sustained during active duty, this is a great group to not only get support from others in the same situation but also to get other forms of assistance as well.

The Paralyzed Veterans of America scholarship comes in a single form working to help not only members but also their families. In order to be eligible to receive funding from the PVA for financial assistance towards school, applicants will need to be a member of the PVA or an immediate family member of the organization. All applicants will need to be United States citizens and be enrolled full or part time at an accredited college in the US. Those who have previously won an award through the Paralyzed Veterans of America scholarship are encouraged to apply again.

Winners of the award will receive $500 if they attend school part time and full time students will receive the full amount of $1,000. Largely a merit based scholarship, Paralyzed Veterans of America scholarships are reviewed to ensure that applications are complete and then weighed on a number of various factors. Amongst these factors are the personal statement, previous academic history, letters of recommendation and activities outside of studies such as sports, club or community volunteer work. An entire section in the application applies specifically to experiential activities. This area should focus on what a student has done with their lives up to that point – what extracurricular activities have they been involved in, what work or volunteer experiences do they have? These two sections in particular can really be used to an applicant’s advantage to show not only dedication to continuing life as normal and getting over their disability but also that they have a clear drive to not only succeed but also to help others along the way. Being a non-profit volunteer assisted organization itself, this would also be a good place to add volunteer activities relating directly to the PVA. Since the Paralyzed Veterans of America scholarship is so strongly merit based, it could certainly never hurt an applicant to have been directly involved in the organization giving out awards.

It is important to remember that, as a merit based program, Paralyzed Veterans of America scholarships are going to have some pretty decent competition. Though the PVA does not list their numbers directly anywhere, on average somewhere around 16 different students receive awards every year. While certainly award amounts have changed over time and various other criteria along with it, it should be pretty clear that a large number of applicants apply for the program every year and of them the PVA, while being able to cover many students, will not be able to cover them all. It will be important to take the application process seriously and ensure that everything included in the application package displays the best of the best an applicant has to offer.

Handicapped Scholarships for Disabled Students

As handicaps come in many different forms, handicapped scholarships for disabled students are designed around the the category of disability.

As physical and mental handicaps come in many different forms, handicapped scholarships for disabled students are designed around the variability inherent in the category of disabilities. Students who may be blind, deaf, or physically disabled will be able to find scholarships to help them fill their financial needs based on their handicap. In order to better locate scholarships for handicapped students which will meet individual criteria, seekers should be able to identify which form of disability they have.

In many cases handicapped scholarships are segmented into individual types, so knowing which disability an individual has will allow for a more successful search. On top of nationally available handicap scholarships students should always stop by their local financial aid office to see what scholarships or grants may be available through the specific college. It is not uncommon for colleges to receive grant money from the federal level or from private foundations dedicated to making financial aid available to students. If all of these options do not pan out, students with disabilities can often fall back on government grants or social security disability education benefits which are designed to help defray the costs of higher learning. In combination with all of these options, students with disabilities should be able to find the necessary financial aid they need for school. Though the process is not always simple, tenacity will find a student funded well enough that in all hopes should any gap remain it will be relatively small.

Students with a general physical or mental handicap should check in with the Mays Mission for the Handicapped and consider them as a potential source for a handicapped scholarship. Every year the Mays Mission gives out up to seven handicapped scholarships to needy students in the form of a stipend. The amount varies student to student and is not specified by the organization. In order to qualify for a Mays Mission handicapped scholarship students must be able to officially document a handicap or disability, be a resident of the Unites States, score 18 or better on the ACT, be enrolled in a four year college program and be actively working towards a degree. On top of these initial requirements, the Mays Mission requires that every semester students provide proof of full time enrollment, submit grades while maintaining a grade point average of at least 2.3 and compose a letter which updates the Mays group with a status of the student’s life. While it is not stipulated directly, the wording of the requirements suggests that stipends operate in an ongoing basis so long as minimum qualifications are maintained. The deadline for the Mays Mission scholarship is June 30.

Students who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as those who are blind, have several options available to them in terms of a handicapped scholarship as well apart from relying solely on social security benefits or government grants. The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) provides a series of deaf scholarships through a number of private foundations, the most prominent of which is the William C. Stokoe Foundation. This foundation provides a single $1,000 handicapped scholarship to students who can verify that they are either deaf or hard of hearing of any major or program. Applications for this hard of hearing scholarship are due no later than March 15 of every year and for more information, students should contact NAD directly.

For blind students, the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) offers 30 blind scholarships every year of anywhere from $3,000 to $12,000 to winning applicants. Interested students must be able to show legal documentation regarding their blindness, be a resident of the United States, planning to or currently are enrolled in an institution of higher education and be a participant in NFD scheduled events. Those applicants whom are awarded with these handicapped scholarships for disabled students will also receive separate assistance to help them attend the NFB annual conference in July, allowing them to network with publicly active blind persons. The deadline for the NFB scholarship is March 31, 2011.

Disability Scholarships for Depression

Scholarships for depression which do exist in some forms here or there, are not as readily available as say disability scholarships for other mental disorders.

While it is often said that there are scholarships for almost all types of people, conditions or situations, this bit of hyperbole is not always entirely true. For example, scholarships for depression, which do exist in some forms here or there, are not as readily available as say disability scholarships for other mental disorders. This could be for a number of reasons, but amongst them is that depression is incredibly wide spread, difficult to diagnose, and more or less a subjective experience than it makes it a situation in which exact numbers cannot applied to.

That being said, there are in fact a number of depression scholarships available to those students who can show medical evidence of depression, often in the form of bipolar disorder or other depression types which are chronic and verifiable. These would be a form of bipolar scholarships.

The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) offers some disabled scholarships themselves, but with regards to finding additional funding provides a handy checklist where students should also check should they not get an award from the DBSA. DBSA suggests that students looking for depression scholarships contact their state’s Department of Mental Health, which is sometimes packed in with the Department of Human Services, and attempt to ascertain whether or not funds have been allocated for assistance to formally diagnosed patients with depression in the form of financial aid for education. There are also support groups in many areas which may supply additional funding for students who may be involved in the organization or are just an active person in their circles. In many cases vocational rehabilitation agencies may have funding available which they provide, and students should always check in with any groups which provide financial assistance to people with disabilities for which depression is often considered.

Churches or even local chapters of the National Alliance on Mental Illness may be able to give aid as well, so students should always be sure to check in on these sources.

Many of the funds available for depression scholarships for disabilities will come from regional or local sources such as the Ohio Department of Mental Health (ODMH). This agency provides depression scholarships for students who attend workshops or conferences to enhance their leadership skills and are interested in helping the overall depression community in advocacy. Their Technical Assistance award provides varying amounts for students who are interested in moving on beyond advocacy, self help programs or support groups, giving money for leadership development and mental health education. Interested students will need to submit a plan indicating what they are trying to accomplish, whether the people involved are capable of helping them meet their goals and whether or not the amount requested is within reason for the application of funds. It is important to note that this program is not solely available for educational purposes, so students interested in applying a Technical Assistance depression scholarship to their schooling should request relatively small amounts while rationalizing carefully why they need the assistance. The deadline for this program is not a static date and applicants should fill out the forms at their convenience but long before school starts.

Students who may not be depressed but are interested in researching the topic and expand knowledge regarding depression will have scholarships available to them as well. There are a number of research oriented depression scholarships available for these students, and interested applicants should certainly look into them very carefully. The National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression Young Investigator Award offers up to $30,000 a year for up to two years worth of research, aimed at graduate students interested in conducting research on depression. All research must be relevant to bipolar disease, borderline disorders, depression, and suicide or involve research with children. The deadline for this scholarship for depression is July 25 of every year and interested applicants should contact the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression for more information and an application.

Though widespread depression may be, scholarships for depression are sorely lacking in many cases. There are a number of such programs available for researchers on the topic, or for specific types of depression such as bipolar disorder. If a student is able to specify which type of depression they may have then they are more likely to identify scholarships related to the disorder.

MS Scholarships for Disability Students

A multiple sclerosis community exists at both national and regional levels which provide MS scholarships for disability students who meet specific requirements.

Fortunately an incredibly supportive multiple sclerosis community exists at both national and regional levels which provide MS scholarships for disability students who meet specific eligibility requirements. Living with a disease like multiple sclerosis can be incredibly difficult. This becomes no less true for those living with MS who are also going to school. While this does not inherently make the disease any more difficult to handle it does make going to school sometimes hard, especially for those students in an advanced stage of the disease in which their primary motor skills have been compromised. Looking for financial support for school adds yet another burden to the lives of those living with MS.

While certainly not being able to provide an multiple sclerosis scholarship to every student interested in receiving financial aid, the availability of such programs is fairly wide spread. Students who are seeking an MS college scholarship should always check with their college’s financial aid and disability services departments as there are many instances in which universities offer MS scholarships to disabled students with the disease attending that specific institution. Beyond these options students with a particular zeal should consider approaching local charitable organizations such as the Lion’s Club or Moose Lodges and speak with somebody regarding their medical condition asking if there is any funding available locally for students with severe medical issues.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) provides many multiple sclerosis scholarships for disability college students annually; in 2010 giving almost one million dollars total to 470 students. This national MS society scholarship awards at a minimum $1,000 and at max $3,000, determined by financial need qualifiers and other merit based factors.

In order to be eligible for the NMSS Scholarship for multiple sclerosis students must currently be high school seniors either with MS themselves for with parents who are living with the condition. All applicants must be United States residents and planning to enroll in an accredited US college. In order to receive the award after enrollment in a college, students must maintain at least 6 credit hours during the semester in which the scholarship is applied. These MS scholarships may be reapplied for so long as students are in school and are maintaining their minimum requirements in order to qualify for an award. The deadline for this scholarship is in mid-January and opens every year in October. Though the 2011 awards have already been given out, students should check in during October to check on 2012’s deadline.

Another available MS scholarship, offered for students attending Northern Arizona University, is the Emily Marie Benson Memorial Scholarship. This multiple sclerosis scholarship provides $10,000 to help cover tuition, various school costs, housing expenses, and should any money be left after these expenses are covered, extra cash for recipients. In order to be eligible for this MS scholarship interested students must be US citizens. All applicants must have a serious medical condition and provide a resume including personal activities, awards, talents or other information believed to be important. An essay must be submitted describing students are able to work through their medical condition overcoming personal challenges and meeting goals. A letter of recommendation must be obtained from a teacher and a second letter should come from an applicant’s current physician. Applicants interested in this disabled scholarship should fill out their Northern Arizona University financial aid and scholarship forms, submitting additional information regarding their medical condition. When these forms are submitted they will automatically be enrolled for a chance to get the Emily Marie Benson Memorial Scholarship for MS.

Between national, local, and college MS scholarships, students living with MS should be able to find a fair amount of potential funding for their education. These scholarships for MS are competitive and are certainly not available to everybody. In order to better maximize their chances students should start their application process early and be sure to indicate what they have done with their lives to date despite their medical condition. This latter point is very important – these groups want to hear how students have overcome their disability, and the more any applicant can show that they have done this, the better their chances.

Disabled Veteran Scholarships

Disabled veteran scholarships for those students who served in the US military are worth looking into because the biggest critera has already been met – DAV.

There are specific disabled veteran scholarships for those students who served in the US military and are worth looking into because the biggest critera has already been met – served, disabled and now a former Vet. Being a soldier and coming back from a conflict can be stressful for many people as they work at reintegrating into the private sector. Many veterans decide to head off to school pursuing a degree in higher education. While this can be a difficult adjustment for these soldiers it is often more difficult for those who have been discharged honorably from the military because of disabilities received during the course of their military service.

Scholarships for disabled veterans exist for those students in just such a circumstance, having been hurt while performing duties and now looking to attend school so that they may make a smoother transition from military service to non-military work. There are many resources available which offer disabled veteran scholarships and interested students should be able to find much of the financial aid they may need.

Apart from looking towards the Federal Veterans Administration for financial assistance and other non-profit national organizations, many disabled veterans will be able to look towards local veteran’s lodges for additional funding. While not all veteran’s lodges offer such Vet scholarships, many do or, if they do not, will be able to direct their members towards other sources which will be able to assist them. Of course it is always a good idea for disabled veterans to check in with their local office of financial aid as it is very common for universities to either offer themselves or have listed a number of disabled veterans scholarships which will be available to interested students.

There are many national organizations which offer scholarships for disabled veterans, and one such group is the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA). The AFCEA has recently begun providing the Disabled War Veterans Scholarship which provides multiple $2,500 scholarships to selected individuals. In order to be eligible for this Vet scholarship interested students must currently be enrolled an accredited institution at the freshman to senior levels of schooling. Students will need to be studying in a particular field including but not limited to electrical systems, aerospace, computer engineering, networking, and physics. All applicants will need to provide two letters of recommendation one being from a teacher and another from a current employer or public agency. Transcripts of an applicant’s academic history will need to be provided. This veteran scholarship is only available to those students who are currently active duty military personnel, honorably discharged United States veterans, reservists and those soldiers who have been disabled because of sustaining an injury from active-duty combat in either Operations Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom. The deadline for this scholarship is April 1, 2011.

Members of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) group, a nationally recognized non-profit organization, will be eligible to apply for the Auxiliary National Education Scholarship Fund which provides several $1,500 disabled veteran scholarships every year. Being a DAV member is a prerequisite to gaining access to this Vet scholarship and, while renewals are not guaranteed, members can reapply for this scholarship up to five times in subsequent semesters. Interested students must be attending school at least part time and have a 2.5 grade point average in order to qualify for the full $1,500. Those students attending school for at least six credit hours are eligible for the same scholarship but the amount is reduced to $750. All applicants must be attending a university in the United States. Leadership and commitment to education will be used to help determine who will receive awards each year and the application has a space dedicated to clubs, extracurricular activities and volunteer opportunities applicants have been involved in. These spaces would wisely be used to indicate both a capacity for leadership and a sincere interest in pursuing a student’s current academic goals. A financial assessment will also be carried out on the application making financial need a measure by which the selection committee may assign this disabled veterans scholarship’s awards.

The deadline for the DAV Auxiliary Scholarship is March 15, 2011. While this disabled Vet scholarship is certainly a good source of funds, disabled veteran scholarships exist on multiple levels and students who are not members of DAV but are still in need of financial assistance would be wise to investigate many options especially at the local or college level.