
Going off to college is a pleasant experience for everyone. However, sometimes this experience only happens to students who can afford to pay for university or college tuition, and other expensive costs that come with attending these institutions; and for those who get scholarships and other forms of financial aid. Not many parents and students know how many options there are concerning student aid scholarships for students with disabilities.
With the help of grants, fellowships, scholarships for students with disabilities and other such financial-supportive awards, students who cannot afford to pay for higher education costs can live the amazing college experience. Regardless if you’re looking into getting a student loan or a scholarship that covers the tuition fully or only partially, any form of financial aid must be greatly appreciated. Many times, if a student looks thoroughly, he or she can discover that combinations of outside funding resources and financial aid from the federal government or various organizations can help pay for a student’s education.
Financial Aid for Disabled Students
There are numerous financial gifts offered to students with disabilities by organizations, groups and through state and federal government programs. When a student first starts looking into his or her options for supporting themselves financially through school, there are a few main possible sources that should be taken into consideration. Firstly, the parent of a student with disabilities can check with their employer to see if any financial aid or tuition reimbursement is offered. Moreover, some employers even offer scholarships for their employees’ children who graduate high-school.
Another thing that parents can do in order to get scholarships for disabled students is to check with any organizations their affiliated with and see what financial support they offer for their members’ children. Organizations such as The Elks Club and labor unions like Teamsters and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) offer scholarships for both members and dependent children of their members. Even synagogues and churches offer scholarships for students with disabilities, thus it’s best to check every possible option that comes to mind.
A must-do step is to consult the high-school’s guidance counselor of the financial aid office of the institution a student has been accepted to in order to see what financial assistance for disabled students they offer.
Five Important Student Aid for Students with Disabilities Programs
1. The Jewish Guild for the Blind offers students blind scholarships who are legally blind between 12 and 16 each year. Each scholarship amounts up to $15,000 and students can apply for it early in their senior year to receive the award later that year. The application form is submitted online and the deadline for submission is September 15.
2. The Anne Ford and Allegra Ford Scholarship is awarded by the National Center for Learning Disabilities. This scholarship for disabled students amounts $10,000 and is addressed towards senior high-school students, two per year, who wish to pursue undergraduate studies. The graduating high-school students who apply for this scholarship need to have documented learning disabilities and who are determined to getting their college degree and pursue a professional degree thereafter.
3. The Loreen Arbus Focus on Disability Scholarships is an award created by Loreen Arbus and is directed towards disabled student film makers or students whose creations help shed light on disabled students. The scholarship programs started in 2010 and the award consists of $10,000.
4. The ChairScholars Foundation Scholarships offers financial aid for students with disabilities, both college freshmen and high-school seniors, amounting $20,000. The funds of the scholarship can be used to pay for tuition at any university and college from any state and is available to all students in the US. The application deadline for this scholarship is February 15.
5. The Google Lime Scholarship for Students with Disabilities offers those who want to get a Computer Science or Computer Engineering degree, or a degree related field such as software engineering. Scholarships awarded amount $10,000 for US students and CAD$5,000 for Canadian students.
The five disability scholarships presented above are only a few of the numerous options available for disabled students. As mentioned before, there are many more companies, organizations, foundations, religious groups and federal government programs that offer student aid scholarships for students with disabilities. For more options, check the list of state agencies that can be consulted with regard to educational financial support linked below.
















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Attaining real world goals, such as a college degree or vocational certificate, can be much more difficult for a person that cannot function on a normal level. That is why spina bifida
Students living with this disorder can apply for any number of
The most recognized spina bifida organization, the Spina Bifida Association, offers its own
Like many other areas of study, there are also
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Cystic Fibrosis scholarships have become more important as of late and are an
Another program that gifts a cystic fibrosis college scholarship to students, is given through the
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Nurses who are looking into working with, or who currently work around people with cystic fibrosis can also qualify for cystic fibrosis
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True Epilepsy is a debilitating condition that can get in the way of almost anything, but some of these
This disorder is a bit different than other disabilities. Instead of the term epilepsy being used to describe a particular condition, this term encompasses’ almost twelve different seizure disorders. Because seizures affect the brain so much, it may seem like the sufferer will fall to a low quality of life and will not be able to pursue things such as college. This is where the importance of an epilepsy scholarship lies.
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While there are many different epilepsy
Big corporations also offer scholarships for epilepsy. Pfizer, the drug manufacturer offers twenty-five different epilepsy scholarships each year. These
The Keppra Family Epilepsy Scholarship Program provides financial support to people who are living with the disorder. What makes this epilepsy scholarship unique is the fact that money from this program can go either to the disabled person or the parents and caregivers of said person. There are thirty epilepsy scholarships in all, each worth five thousand dollars. To those who suffer from this disorder, or those who care for these people, this money can make all the difference in the world. With so many different resources out there, it is very important to find what you qualify for before you give up on college. We all know that college is pricey these days, and it can often be out of reach for those with disabilities. Some of these 
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Frequently; however, the treatment for the disease is a long and hard road that can derail the goals and dreams of the individual. It can exhaust financial resources that were meant for other things, such as a college education. When the person makes it through, they may be left with very little to live the rest of their life with.
This is why many
There are different survivors scholarships out there today, most un-heard of. The majority of them do not specify what disease a person needed to have in order to qualify. Normally; any life threatening disease or disorder will qualify. All of the scholarships for survivors require an application which will include an essay. The essay topic may vary depending on the organization granting the
Grade point averages are important for every one of these survivor scholarship awards. Maintaining a high grade point average, despite the onset of a life threatening disease, shows that a person is motivated enough to not give up. This will allow the person to remain motivated while in college as well when things get difficult. Only full time students are considered, and most
The Cheryl Grimmel Award is one of the many different
The world does not always end when a life threatening disease comes tromping through your life. There are many things that you still need to work towards, and one of the most important is a college degree together with a 
Though it may seem like a long shot, obtaining disability schizophrenia
While most of the schizophrenia scholarships that are available are generalized scholarship programs available to people with various different disabilities, there is one that has been set aside solely for people with this disorder. The
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