Top 25 Scholarships for Students with Disabilities

If you live with any kind of physical, mental, or learning disability, then this article on scholarships for students with disabilities will help you enroll in a scholarship and study without bothering about the funds or breaking the bank.

Over one billion people live with disabilities or experience them. Living with a disability is not an easy feat.

Most of us expect to live a healthy and long life, but when disabilities hit us, it tends to trigger lots of emotions and fears.

Then you will begin to wonder if you’ll be able to work, keep a relationship and most especially study.

Living with a disability is also very expensive because lots of funds go into taking care of the health.

The financial aspect of higher education affects all students, but those with disabilities may face greater challenges and require additional support.

In 2017, the National Disability Institute completed a financial survey. It showed that students with disabilities take out fewer loans than non-disabled individuals.

As someone living with a disability, you have other payment options — like scholarships.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, people with disabilities over 16 years old find employment at a third of the national rate.

To combat this trend, the government and other organizations offer specialized funding for those with disabilities.

Types of Student Disabilities

Learning and Intellectual Disabilities: Common learning disabilities include dyslexia, language disorders, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

  • Physical Disabilities
  • Autism and Other Developmental Disorders
  • Mental Health Disorders
  • Speech or Language Disorders
  • Chronic Health Conditions
  • Visual and Hearing Impairments

The financial aspect of education affects all students and students with disabilities are not left out. That is why scholarships and grants go a long way to relieve some of the financial stress associated with school funds.

All types of students can access a scholarship. Some scholarships are fully funded while others are partially funded.

The fully funded scholarships take care of the tuition fee as well as other student expenses while partially funded scholarships take care of either the tuition fee or student expenses.

With so many scholarships available, students are overwhelmed with the information online. That is why we have listed the top scholarships for students with disabilities.

scholarships for students with disabilities

Scholarships for Students with Disabilities

The following scholarships are listed as the top scholarships for disabled students.

  • Google Lime Scholarship
  • AG Bell College Scholarship
  • Microsoft Disability Scholarship
  • AAHD Frederick J. Krause Scholarship on Health and Disability
  • Snowden Trust
  • Google Europe Scholarship for Students with Disabilities
  • The June Opie Scholarship
  • Sir Charles Bright Scholarship
  • The Walter and Eliza Hall Trust Opportunity Scholarship
  • I.F.E. Scholarships
  • Academy of Special Dreams Scholarship
  • Elevate Mental Health Awareness Scholarship
  • AbbVie Immunology Scholarship
  • American Council of the Blind’s (ACB) Scholarship Program
  • Baer Reintegration Scholarship
  • John Lepping Memorial Scholarship
  • Lighthouse Guild College Bound Scholarship
  • Lime Connect Pathways Scholarship for High School Seniors
  • Thomas J. Seefried Trust Scholarship
  • NBCUniversal Tony Coehlo Media Scholarship
  • Wells Fargo Scholarship Program for People with Disabilities
  • Disabled War Veterans Scholarships
  • Gabriel’s Foundation of Hope Scholarships
  • Kristofer Robinson Scholarship Fund
  • Lilly Reintegration Scholarship

1.       Google Lime Scholarship

This is the first on our list of scholarships for students with disabilities. This scholarship is especially for disabled undergraduate and postgraduate students who wish to study computer science in the US or Canada.

Selected students are granted US$10,000 or C$5,000 for the school year.

Apply here

2.       AG Bell College Scholarship

This is the next on our list of grants for students with disabilities. This scholarship is available for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Undergraduates and postgraduates are eligible to apply and the fund is $1,500-$2,500 per student.

3.       Microsoft Disability Scholarship

This scholarship is specifically for disabled students who have a flair for technology.

Eligible candidates are awarded up to $5000 for 4 years and all nationalities can apply for the scholarship.

4.       AAHD Frederick J. Krause Scholarship on Health and Disability

This is the next on our list of scholarships for disabled students. This scholarship is worth $1000 and it is awarded to undergraduate and postgraduate graduate students who want to Study in the US.

5.       Snowden Trust

This scholarship offers funding for students with a physical or sensory impairment to study at a college or university in the UK.

Students of different nationalities and those with refugee status are eligible to apply for this scholarship.

Enroll here

6.       Google Europe Scholarship for Students with Disabilities

This is the next on our list of grants for disabled students.

This scholarship is worth £7000 and it is awarded to students who wish to study computer science courses.

7.       The June Opie Scholarship

This is also another scholarship for disabled students. This one is worth $3000 and it is awarded to the student to undertake a program at the University of Adelaide.

8.       Sir Charles Bright Scholarship

This scholarship is for disabled students in South Australia and Adelaide.

It is worth $2000 per student.

9.       The Walter and Eliza Hall Trust Opportunity Scholarship

This scholarship is worth $10,000 and it is awarded to disabled students to study in the university across Australia like The James Cook University, Monash University, and the University of Sydney.

10.   L.I.F.E. Scholarships

This scholarship is specifically for students diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus.

They must have a higher GPA to qualify and the scholarship is worth $500.

11.   Academy of Special Dreams Scholarship

This scholarship is for special needs students and it is on our list of scholarships for students who are disabled.

It is worth $500 and eligible for students who desire to study art.

12.   Elevate Mental Health Awareness Scholarship

This scholarship is Majorly for students who are suffering from mental health. The scholarship is worth $500 and available for Students at any level of education.

13.   AbbVie Immunology Scholarship

This scholarship is specifically for students who are diagnosed with inflammatory diseases.

It is awarded to students enrolled in a full-time undergraduate or post-graduate program in any of the US universities.

The scholarship is worth $15000.

14.   American Council of the Blind’s (ACB) Scholarship Program

This scholarship is specifically for blind people. To be eligible, you must be legally blind, have a good GPA, be a full-time student and participate in community service.

The scholarship is worth $2000 to $5000.

15.   Baer Reintegration Scholarship

Students that are 18 years of age above but are diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or schizoaffective disorder are eligible to apply for this scholarship.

They must be enrolled in a high school, vocational school, or enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate degree program.

The amount or worth of the scholarship varies according to the financial needs of the individual.

16.   John Lepping Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship for disabled students is especially for students who have physical conditions like spinal cord injury, loss of limb, birth defects, and/or psychological conditions like autism, post-traumatic stress, etc.

To be eligible, you must provide proof of disability with a letter of confirmation from the doctor.

The scholarship is worth $5000.

17.   Lighthouse Guild College Bound Scholarship

This scholarship is specifically for visually impaired or blind students.

Eligible students are those who are enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at the university. The worth of the Scholarship varies. There’s no specific amount.

18.   Lime Connect Pathways Scholarship for High School Seniors

This is a $1000 scholarship awarded to high school students with all types of disabilities. The award is either merit-based or depends on the financial need of the student.

19.   Thomas J. Seefried Trust Scholarship

This scholarship is specifically for Ohio residents who are diagnosed with juvenile diabetes.

To be eligible, you must have enrolled in a four-year undergraduate program at the University. The scholarship is worth $3000.

20.   NBCUniversal Tony Coehlo Media Scholarship

This scholarship is open to all students with disabilities who are interested in studying media, communications, or entertainment fields.

The scholarship is worth $5,625.

21.   Wells Fargo Scholarship Program for People with Disabilities

This scholarship is for disabled students who have a 3.0 GPA and above and are either planning to enroll or are already enrolled in an undergraduate degree program.

The scholarship is worth $2,500 for full-time students, and $1,250 for half-time students.

It is also a renewable scholarship.

22.   Disabled War Veterans Scholarships

This scholarship is funded by the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA). It is a merit-based award given to disabled armed forces members who were injured during the war.

To be eligible, they must be enrolled in an endorsed University, have a good GPA of 3.0 and above and major in areas related to engineering, technology, information systems, security, physics, computer science, or mathematics.

23.   Gabriel’s Foundation of Hope Scholarships

This scholarship is sponsored by Gabriel who was born with severe congenital birth defects in 1990.

The scholarship is eligible to disabled students who want to work in the field of the disabled community and all college students who are disabled.

The scholarship is worth $500 and it is offered yearly.

24.   Kristofer Robinson Scholarship Fund

This scholarship is especially for paraplegic and quadriplegic students. The Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) gives the Kristofer Robinson Scholarship yearly to them.

To be eligible, you must be a legal citizen of Texas, attend an endorsed school in Texas and need of financial assistance.

The scholarship is worth $5000 and it’s awarded yearly.

25.   Lilly Reintegration Scholarship

This scholarship is specifically for students who have been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, or Major Depressive Disorder.

It is the last on our list of scholarships for students with disabilities.

To be eligible, the student must have documentation proving the diagnosis from a mental health professional, be currently receiving treatment for the illness, be actively involved in rehabilitative effort services, and be enrolled in an accredited U.S. program at the vocational, associate, undergraduate, or graduate level.

Conclusion

Whether you live with a mental health condition, a physical disability, or a chronic illness, you can benefit from scholarships.

The above-listed scholarships are the proof. Now stop worrying about your future and go make it happen!

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2 comments

  1. one blind boy in india he is a poor boy ,he studying 1st year BA , eng lit,at mcc college chennai tambaram,name s. lakshminarayanan he has scored 537 marks in 12th govt exam ,and he was school 1st in his st louis blind school chennai adayar,he need financial support so please help for study.

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