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.