Living with a disability should never exclude anyone from seeking a higher education. Here you’ll find resources on opportunities for grants and scholarships for students with disabilities, as well as vocational training.
Financial Aid Programs
A great place to start in the search for financial aid is by filling out the Free Application for Financial Student Aid or FAFSA. This federal website is the first stop for applying for loans and grants backed by the federal government.
Grants and Scholarship Programs:
The Patient Advocate Foundation Scholarship Program
The Patient Advocate Foundation’s program to provide support to persons pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree that have been diagnosed or treated with cancer and other chronic illnesses.
American Association on Health and Disability Scholarship Program
Annual scholarship awarded to students enrolled as at least a sophomore in college pursuing either a bachelors or graduate degree.
SpinLife Innovation in Motion Scholarship
The largest online retailer of wheelchairs annually awards a $1000 scholarship and a $500 gift certificate to college students who use a wheelchair.
Alexander Graham Bell College Grant Program for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired
Highly competitive grant program offered to students diagnosed with a hearing condition before the age of 7. Awards range from $1,000 to $10,000.
Reginald E Johnson Memorial Scholarship
This scholarship is presented by the National Association for the Blind and awards amounts ranging from $1,000 to $2,000.
National Federation of the Blind Scholarship Program
Largest scholarship program of its kind, the NFB offers a total of $120,000 annually to blind students pursuing higher education.
Scholarship awarded to college students diagnosed with Autism and Asperghers provided by the Organization for Autism Research.
These are just a snapshot of some of the scholarships available out there. A more complete list can be found here: DisabilityScholarships.us.
Online College
The internet has opened up a world of opportunities in remote learning. Many online educational institutions have made it a mission to make their curriculum more accessible to students with disabilities through Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Here OnlineU.com ranks the best online colleges and degree programs for learning, auditory and visual disabilities based on the their accessibility through UDL.
Higher Educational Institutions
Choosing the right college is an important decision! Choosing a college that has the right accommodations for your disability can make the process more difficult. CollegeConsensus.com has compiled a ranking of the top 50 universities that have strong programming and solid support systems for students with disabilities.
Vocational Training
This Department of Education Funded program provides extra help with employment and training goals. VR services help persons with disabilities to prepare for, obtain and maintain a job. This program is run at the state level, and you can find more information through your state’s vocational rehabilitation agency. To find your state’s VR agency click here
