Thankfully there are some disability scholarships for bipolar students with this condition which can be used to help bipolar people achieve their educational goals through providing financial assistance. Bipolar scholarships exist often times side by side or within broader scholarships for students suffering other mental maladies, though there are still those which are offered exclusively for students living with bipolar disorder only.
Working through life with a condition like bipolar disorder can be difficult for anybody. Students with this disorder can have a double dose of trouble while trying to maintain a balance between a healthy life and school made difficult by mood swings which are affecting a student’s ability to handle the world around them. Combined with the social stigma in the United States which surrounds people with bipolar disorder, it can be extra difficult for students looking to enter into higher education to be taken seriously, or even at times given scholarships because committees may not see the student as being likely to progress through their schooling.
There are also disability scholarships available for those from a diverse background for which bipolar students have had great success in applying for. While not necessarily related to scholarships, bipolar students will also find that the mental health facilities at universities are often designed in part with them in mind, and when picking a university to apply a bipolar scholarship to, students should be careful in also reviewing their medical facilities to ensure they are capable of helping them with any serious issues which may come up during the course of their studies.
In 2004 a woman named Sarah Freeman was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and, after a tumultuous time dealing with the issues it created in her life, established a website called Bipolar Lives. During her quest to provide as much information as possible regarding this mental disorder, Freeman discovered that the available information and number of bipolar disorder scholarships available was significantly limited. To rectify the situation as best she could, Freeman dedicated a page on her website to scholarships for bipolar students while at the same time establishing a disability scholarship of her own.
Since 2009 Sarah Freeman’s Bipolar Lives Scholarship has been providing at least $500 to students looking for additional funds for school while also having bipolar disorder. In 2011 the amount was increased to $1,000 and some of the specifics regarding the bipolar scholarship were changed. Students interested in applying, must be over 21 years old and write a 450-900 word essay regarding interesting or useful information on bipolar disorder. All entries will be judged by a five person panel and the awards will be given out on July 1. Beyond this students will also need to submit a separate application form which will contain the name of chosen college, program applicants wish to enter, and current grade point average. All applications must be received no later than on June 1.
Beyond the Bipolar Lives Scholarship, the Lilly Reintegration Scholarship is offered every year to students who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or bipolar disorder. These disability scholarships for bipolar students provides for between $2,500 and $5,000 to anywhere from at least 70 to 100 students at all levels of post secondary education. On top of having been formally diagnosed with one of the above conditions, interested students must be currently undergoing medical treatment while actively working on rehabilitative program.
Further, students must be a United States citizen and be attending or preparing to attend a fully accredited university. The selection committee will consider an applicant’s overall academic progress thus far in their life, personal references, success in handling their condition, volunteer experiences, and their current rehabilitation efforts. Essays will be on a topic as assigned yearly by Lilly Reintegration group. While entries for 2011 have come to a close, the deadline for the Lilly Reintegration Scholarship for bipolar is January 25 of every year. As it is important to show active progress, it is important to start the process as early as possible.