8 Top Scholarships for the Disability Community

With the rising costs of higher education, it’s never too late to look into scholarships. For those living with a disability—visible or not—there are numerous scholarships available to help students of all experiences to obtain their degree. While we cannot list all of the scholarships available to those with disabilities, here are a few of the best we found:

AG Bell College Scholarship Awards

The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing offers multiple scholarships for full-time students wanting to pursue a two- or four-year degree at an accredited college or university. To be considered, the applicant must be deaf or hard of hearing and use either spoken language or sign language to communicate. Those that are chosen must already be accepted into their higher education program and may reapply every year they’re in college for additional funds.

American Council of the Blind Scholarship Program

Co-created by the American Council of the Blind and the American Foundation for the Blind, these scholarships are designed to help those with visual impairments attend technical school. This scholarship is eligible to incoming freshman, undergraduate students and graduate students, and can be used to cover anything from tuition to adaptive technology costs. Applicants must provide proof of legal blindness, maintain a 3.0 GPA and be involved in their community to be considered.

Anne Ford Scholarship

The Anne Ford Scholarship is a $10,000 scholarship awarded over the course of four years by the National Center for Learning Disabilities. The funds are allocated to one graduating high school senior who has a documented learning disability and either is or will be enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program. Applicants must submit proper documentation of their learning disability diagnoses to be considered. Students with ADHD and a learning disability are especially encouraged to apply.

Beth Carew Memorial Scholarship

The Beth Carew Memorial Scholarship is a competitive education scholarship sponsored by the Colburn-Keenan Foundation and created in honor of Beth Carew—one of the few women to be diagnosed with hemophilia A. This scholarship awards $6,000 to an undergraduate student diagnosed with an inherited bleeding disorder, such as hemophilia and Von Willebrand disease. Interested applicants must also be involved in their community and entering into an accredited undergraduate program for a two- or four-year program.

Google Lime Scholarship

The Google Lime Scholarship, created in partnership between Google and the nonprofit Lime Connect, is an annual scholarship for individuals with disabilities pursuing a computer science or computer engineering degree. To be eligible, the applicant must be enrolled full-time in a bachelor’s program, demonstrate past academic excellence and have a passion for computer science and technology to be considered. Canadian students who meet the qualifications may also apply, with their reward amounting to 5,000 CAD.

Millie Brothers CODA International Scholarship

Awarded by the Children of Deaf Adults (CODA) International, the Millie Brothers Scholarship is dedicated to helping children of deaf parents pursue a higher education. This scholarship is available to undergraduate students of any accredited institution of higher learning (including community colleges and trade schools) and may be awarded to several recipients. Applicants must submit an application and an essay retelling their experience as a CODA to be considered.

Schwallie Family Scholarship

Created by the Organization for Autism Research, the Schwallie Family Scholarship is for autistic students pursuing an undergraduate degree. There is no minimum GPA required to apply for the funds, however, applicants do need to provide proof of college enrollment and an essay response (written, audio or slideshow) to be considered. Proof of diagnoses is not needed to submit an application, but must be provided by those chosen as finalists for the award.

UCB Family Epilepsy Scholarship Program

The UCB Family Epilepsy Scholarship, founded in honor of Sandra Helmers and John M. Pellock, awards up to $10,000 to students diagnosed with epilepsy or who have a family member living with the condition. An award of $5,000 will be given to at least 30 of the applicants, with three additional applicants receiving a $10,000 prize. Students must demonstrate academic and personal excellence to be considered and use the funds in pursuit of an associate’s, undergraduate, graduate or trade school education.

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This article was originally published on diversitycomm.net.