Are There Scholarships for Students with Disabilities?

I have a learning disability, and I'm worried about financing for college. Are there scholarships specifically for students with disabilities that I should be aware of? Any advice or resources you could share would be awesome!

Absolutely, there are numerous scholarships aimed specifically towards helping students with disabilities finance their education. You might want to look for scholarships that support students with your specific disability, as these are often more specialized and may offer greater support.

One resource to consider is the Anne Ford Scholarship offered by the National Center for Learning Disabilities. This scholarship awards $2,500 per year over four years to two high school seniors who have documented learning disabilities.

There's also the P. Buckley Moss Endowed Scholarship which provides up to $1,000 to one or more high school seniors with a language-related learning difference and who are pursuing a career in the visual arts.

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) offers an internship program that provides leadership development and professional experience. While this isn't a scholarship, it's a paid internship and includes living expenses, so it can be a helpful resource for covering education-related costs.

If you're interested in STEM fields, the AAHD Frederick J. Krause Scholarship on Health and Disability offers scholarships to students with disabilities who are pursuing undergraduate/graduate studies in the field of health and disability, including, but not limited to public health, health promotion, and disability studies.

These are just a few examples; there are many more scholarships out there, so I'd recommend you conduct a more personalized search. Appily is a comprehensive database where you can customize your scholarship search based on factors like your intended major, extracurricular involvement, unique scholarships and yes, disability status.

You might also want to check out resources at your high school's guidance office, and if you have a specific college in mind, check with their financial aid office as they might have relevant scholarships. Just remember to be wary of scams or organizations that charge a fee to find scholarships. There are plenty of free resources out there to help you secure the financing you need.

Lastly, your eligibility for need-based financial aid is not impacted by your disability status. Completing the FAFSA to determine your Student Aid Index (SAI) will give you an idea of what kind of federal aid (such as Pell Grants) you're eligible for, in addition to any scholarships based on your disability.