Disability and Higher Ed: Scholarships to Widen Access
Introduction
Scholarships for disabled students offer financial assistance that helps people with disabilities to attend a post-secondary program in college or technical school. Students with a disability who wish to continue their education and receive a diploma or degree from an accredited college, community college or university can apply for a financial award that will pay for all or part of their tuition. The disability scholarship funds that are awarded can be used for special services such as tutoring and note taking assistance and the student can focus on studying hard and earning good grades.
The National Center for Learning Disabilities, for instance, has a scholarship program that provides financial assistance for students with learning disabilities, limb loss or limb difference, or any other disability. There are many other scholarships for students with disabilities and a number of websites list these awards in databases that students can search through to find a scholarship for their unique situation. Search engines and the financial aid office at the school a student is attending can also be used to search for and find the best financial assistance options.
What Kinds of Scholarships Are Available?
Merit-based awards are given to students that have demonstrated outstanding academic performance at their school. These achievements are normally indicated by either the student’s GPA or specific accomplishments, such as an award for math and science or a high school diploma. These scholarships are given as a reward for hard work and success in school and to recognize the student’s achievements.
The need-based scholarship can be used to help a student that is in financial need to attend college or university. These awards are given to help a student enroll in an accredited college or university and pay for the tuition, without having to pay excessive fees for their enrollment and schooling.
Career-specific scholarships are another type of financial assistance that a student can use to pay for their education. This form of a scholarship is given to a student that is enrolling in an accredited college or university in a specialized major or educational path, such as special education or healthcare. These awards can normally be used to pay for the tuition, fees and books for the student’s educational path or to help the student purchase any resources that they might need during the learning process.
Finally, scholarships are given to people that are disabled. There are scholarships for students and adults with physical disabilities, mental health problems or learning disabilities. Some of the scholarships given for those with a disability include the Anne Ford Scholarship, which is given to students with a learning disability that is documented, the Wells Fargo Scholarship Program for People with Disabilities, which is given to students with all types of disabilities to assist them with their undergraduate educational needs and the Google Lime Scholarship, which helps students with any type of disability to pay for their college education while giving them networking opportunities in the computer science industry.
Finding Scholarships
Finding a scholarship for a disabled student is as simple as doing research and finding the places to look. Online scholarship databases and search engines can be used to find scholarships that are open to a disabled student, or the student can contact their school’s financial aid office to see what options are available. It is also a good idea for students to research local organizations that help people with disabilities, such as the National Center for Learning Disabilities, which offers education resources, helpful tools and more to help students to find and apply for scholarships.
Scholarships can also be found by filtering by major or the student’s field of study, such as education or healthcare. There are many scholarships for career-specific fields and researching these scholarships to find those that match a student’s academic needs can be a great help to their educational and financial future.
Scholarships for Autistic and ADHD Students
Students that have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can find scholarships that are specifically designed for autistic or ADHD students. These scholarships offer financial assistance and understanding to students who have one of these disorders so that they can continue to pursue post-secondary education and attain a degree from an accredited college, community college or university.
The scholarships that are offered for autistic or ADHD students are normally given through organizations or foundations that are set up to help people with these two conditions. Many of the scholarships will require the applicant to provide documentation of the condition or a diagnosis from a medical professional. These financial awards can be used by the student to pay for tuition and books, as well as assistive technology, tutoring and any other resources that the student might require to get a good education.
Some examples of scholarships that are available for autistic or ADHD students are the ADHD College Success Scholarship, which is given to students that have a medical diagnosis for ADHD to help them with their post-secondary education, and the Autism Society Scholarship Program, which gives scholarships to autistic students that have been diagnosed with ASD. Another scholarship that can be applied for by students with ADHD is the Shire ADHD Scholarship, which is a financial award that helps fund the college education of students that have been diagnosed with ADHD.
Applicants should remember to apply for as many scholarships as they possibly can, as the requirements and the award amounts for each scholarship can be different. It is also important to make sure that the application is tailored to the student’s personal achievements and academic and career goals, as well as the impact that autism or ADHD have on the student’s life.
Autistic and ADHD students can use these scholarships to help pay for their specialized education as well as any other resources that the student might need, to ensure that they can be successful and find a great career after school.
Edu4Less.org Scholarship Program
The Edu4Less.org (Education For Less LLC) scholarship program was designed with the specific goal of helping adult learners with disabilities that are working on fully online degrees at accredited colleges and universities. Edu4Less.org scholarships for disabled students are different from the majority of financial awards as they were created with the adult learner in mind.
Edu4Less.org is available to adults only and will not work with high school seniors or students that are currently attending college or university. This scholarship and enrollment program is available to adults that are at least 25 years of age, as well as anyone who is completing their first undergraduate degree, returning to finish a degree that they left off before or just starting on a graduate level program.
In addition to getting 10–20% tuition scholarships for adult learners, the Edu4Less.org program also provides a number of other perks. These include waivers for transcript ordering and application fees as well as enrollment support specialists that will be able to help the student with their decision-making and provide personal and in-depth advice and counseling as they start their new academic journey.
Edu4Less.org is available to U.S. adults that are at least 25 years of age and have received a high school diploma or GED. The only catch is that the student must be currently enrolled in or looking to enroll in a fully online degree program at an accredited college or university. This program was designed to help mid-career adult learners by offering 10–20% tuition scholarships that are completely free and administered by Perdia Education’s tracking technology.
It works by the Edu4Less.org website teaming up with a number of hand-picked online schools. This partnership between the school and Edu4Less.org allows the student to get postgraduate scholarships that work well for their budget and career goals. As a result, these learners can then get the education that they need without having to worry about the price.
Scholarship Perks
- 10–20% Tuition Discount: Huge discount on total price of attendance.
- Fee Waivers: Transcripts and application fee waivers.
- Dedicated Support: Enrollment experts available to guide students every step of the way.
Eligibility Criteria
- Must be a U.S. adult aged 25 and older.
- Open to fully online degree programs only.
- Must be pursuing a degree at an accredited college or university.
- Returning degree completers, first-time undergraduates, and graduate students are all eligible.
- High school seniors or students already enrolled in college or university are not eligible for Edu4Less.org.
Career-Specific Scholarships
Students can use career-specific scholarships to get financial assistance for their degree programs, as well as receive help paying for books, tools and other resources that they need for their career. A number of these scholarships also offer the student networking opportunities with professionals in the field, as well as internships or practical training opportunities, as a part of the financial award.
Students that are looking for career-specific scholarships should research and apply for those that match up with their major and career goals. There are career-specific scholarships for students majoring in education, healthcare, technology and many other paths and jobs.
Application Tips
Starting the application process early is a great way to help students increase their chances of being awarded scholarships. Since many programs run out of funding and are extremely competitive, beginning the application process as soon as possible is the best way to ensure that the student has the best possible chance of being approved for a scholarship.
Applying for several scholarships at the same time is also a good way to improve the chances of the student being awarded funding. By submitting as many applications as they can, students increase their odds of actually being accepted for a scholarship.
Tailoring the application to the specific scholarship as well as the student’s personal and academic achievements, goals and qualifications is also extremely important. In addition to this, it is important that the student lists how their disability has affected their life and education, as well as how the scholarship will help them get a good education and a great career in a field that they are passionate about. Finally, applicants should proofread all of their applications to make sure that they are free of mistakes.
Conclusion
Scholarships for disabled students can be a great way for people with disabilities to get financial assistance that will help them to pay for their college or vocational school education. By starting the application process early, customizing each application and staying organized, students can significantly improve their chances of receiving scholarship funding.
It is also important for students to take advantage of as many resources as they can, including the Edu4Less.org scholarship program and career-specific scholarships, as this will help them manage their educational costs. It is also important that the student remains eligible by earning good grades and being involved in the school or local community, to keep receiving any scholarships that they were approved for.
In the end, scholarships for disabled students are financial resources that can allow students with disabilities to overcome the financial barriers in their way. By using these scholarships, students with disabilities can enjoy success in college or vocational training and go on to find a great career that they are passionate about.