Category: MS scholarships

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.