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With the rising costs of tuition and increasing competitiveness of colleges and universities, finding the means to finance higher education can be challenging for many parents and students. Students with learning disabilities may feel even more challenged in their search for financial aid. The good news is that there are several scholarship programs available specifically for students with learning disabilities. With a little hard work and research skills, students with learning the disabilities can find the means to finance postsecondary education. Students should start the financial aid search as early as possible, preferably no later than their junior year. They should begin by completing the federal government’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), available in print and online forms. Then they should begin researching scholarship opportunities at their high school guidance office, at the schools that they are planning to attend, at the public library, on the Internet, and even their parent’s place of employment.
One of the several scholarships available for students with learning disabilities is The Anne Ford Scholarship, awarded by the National Center for Learning Disabilities, Inc. This award is given to students with a documented learning disability (ADD/ADHD alone does not qualify) in public or private schools with an overall grade point average of 3.0 or higher. The student must be a U.S citizen, have demonstrated financial need and be enrolled as a high school senior with intentions of pursuing an undergraduate degree. The application process includes an application form, a personal essay, a copy of a high school transcript and standardized test scores, three letters of recommendation, a financial statement and documentation of a specific learning disability. The Anne Ford Scholarship award amount is $10,000, paid in four yearly installments of $2,500.
The Yes I Can! Foundation for Exceptional Children also offers scholarships for students with disabilities. The Stanley E. Jackson Awards gives four $500 scholarships, one in each of four categories. The first category is for a student with a disability, the second category is for a student with a disability who is also a member of an ethnic minority, the third category is for a student with a disability who is gifted/talented, and the fourth category is for a student with a disability who is gifted/talented and a member of an ethnic minority. The Sara Conlon Memorial Scholarship award is given to a student with a disability who plans to pursue a major in Education. The student does not have to be entering college for the first time to be eligible. This award is also $500. To apply for either the Stanley E. Jackson Award or the Sara Conlon Award, students must provide a completed application, high school transcripts, three letters of recommendation, a goals statement, documentation of a disability and a statement indicating financial need. Students can apply in only one category.
Bank of America has an Abilities Scholarship Program that awards scholarships to students with disabilities who are interested in careers in business, computer science, or finance. Students must have at least a 3.0 grade point average and live in one of the following states: Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, Idaho, Missouri, Maryland, New Mexico, Oregon, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Texas or Washington.
High school seniors with disabilities who want to pursue a career in electronics may be eligible for an award through the Electronics Industries Foundation. The Recording for the Blind/Learning through Listening Program offers three scholarships to high school seniors with learning disabilities. The scholarships are $3,000 each and are based on academic achievement, service, leadership and enterprise. Students do not have to demonstrate financial need to be eligible for this scholarship.
Other scholarships available include the P. Buckley Moss Harbison Scholarship, awarded to high school seniors with language-based learning disabilities. The Learning Disabilities Association of Iowa offers three scholarships of $1,000 each to Iowa high school seniors with learning disabilities, and the Learning Disabilities Association of Arkansas awards The Ralph G. Norman Scholarship to students in Arkansas. The National Society of the DAR/Margaret Howard Hamilton Scholarship is offered a high school senior with a disability who has been accepted to the Ben Caudle Learning Center at the University of the Ozarks. This award is $1,000 and is renewable for four years.
In order to increase their chances of receiving award money, students should apply for as many scholarships as they are eligible for. When applying for scholarships, students should make sure that they have thoroughly completed each application packet following the instructions provided by the program awarding the scholarships. Students should also make sure that they keep track of application deadlines so that they don’t miss out on a scholarship opportunity because of submitting a late application. There are several free Internet scholarship websites that will compile a list of eligible scholarships based on a profile that the student completes, and then send out reminder emails when application deadlines are nearing. These websites can be valuable resources; however students and parents should be aware of and avoid programs that require paying a fee in return for a financial aid search. These programs generally generate information that could have been found for free with a little work. The goal of a financial aid search should not be to spend money, but rather to secure as much money as possible to provide postsecondary education opportunities for students.
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