Cerebral Palsy Scholarships for students with disabilities are not in abundance so students aflicted with this condition are better served by looking for ‘scholarships for the disabled’ in general then just specifically scholarships for cerebral palsy. We will highlite the few that exist.
As a condition cerebral palsy can be difficult and, in some cases, impossible to manage. Resulting from this, it can be hard for those with some form of cerebral palsy to live their lives with relative ease, and this is shown to be true especially with regards to finding financial assistance for students looking to continue their education on into post secondary institutions.
The largest network for those with cerebral palsy, United Cerebral Palsy, does not offer anything in the form of national cerebral palsy scholarship programs. This being the most logical source for such disability scholarships to sprout from makes finding such scholarship programs even more difficult, as the group does not even offer a useful scholarship guide for those students interested in continuing their education. Instead they point to affiliate groups which may offer cerebral palsy scholarship awards to needy students. Fortunately, despite United Cerebral Palsy’s inability to offer much nationally in the way of solutions, there are groups and, as UCP vaguely suggests, a number of affiliate organizations which do offer financial assistance to students.
On top of applying for this limited number of scholarships for cerebral palsy, students should also consider applying to broader disability scholarships which are much more widely available and cover a number of various conditions under which those with cerebral palsy may qualify. Of course because these disabilities scholarships are not inherently for those living with cerebral palsy interested applicants should read the eligibility over carefully to make sure that they are able to receive funding from any specific source.
The Pfizer pharmaceutical company does offer a cerebral palsy scholarship which many organizations, including the UCP, direct those with the condition to. This disability scholarship is open to students with epilepsy. The aptly named Pfizer Epilepsy Scholarship Award program is open to those with cerebral palsy because epilepsy is a condition commonly associated with the condition. Every year a single $2,000 scholarship is offered to students who have overcome epilepsy in their lives, have strong academic records, participated actively in the community or school groups and have shown a sincere wish to use their education to some great advantage. The selection committee for this cerebral palsy scholarship is made up of those with extensive experience in education and medicine. This should indicate to all interested applicants that a serious desire to expand their education while overcoming their disability will be massively important throughout their application. Other eligibility requirements require students to either currently be in school or having been accepted to a university while under formal medical care for their condition. One letter of recommendation must come from the student’s doctor and a second one must be obtained from a friend, relative, teacher or employer. Along with these letters an essay must be submitted which will consider the challenges an applicant has overcome, what living with the condition has meant to an applicant, who helped them succeed in life or an achievement they are proud of. All application material is due no later than June 15 every year.
Affiliates of the UCP do in fact offer scholarship programs of their own, though this is not true across the board. Students interested in a scholarship from a UCP affiliate should contact the relevant office to see if they offer cerebral palsy scholarships in their area. A good example of a UCP affiliate which offers scholarships comes from the John J. Ingalls Memorial Scholarship as presented by the UCP Metro Boston affiliate office. This program awards three $5,000 scholarships every year in the memory of John Ingalls. This cerebral palsy scholarships are limited to college bound high school graduates or current undergraduate and graduate students who are residents of Massachusetts. All applicants must be medically diagnosed with a disability. For application materials and details, interested students should email or call the UPC Metro Boston offices. The deadline for this cerebral palsy scholarship is April 17 of every year.
Other similar types of cerebral palsy scholarships are offered by affiliates in areas such as California. Several sources suggest looking for funding at a more local level from places such as Moose Clubs, Elk Lodges or the Easter Seals. Students should also highly consider the AmeriGlide Achievers scholarships for disabled students program which would make an ideal substitute for cerebral palsy scholarships.