20 Grad School Scholarships for Students with Disabilities
Graduate school involves taking on a financial burden for almost anyone considering further education; for individuals who also have medical expenses, financing both can feel overwhelming. Though dependent on the area of study, Peterson's reports that graduate programs currently average $30,000 and $40,000 for public and private institutions, respectively. With so much money on the line, prospective students will be pleased to know there are a number of scholarships catering to their specific needs. This guide covers the top 20 scholarships and awards available for graduate students with disabilities and a round-up of funding resources to find additional support.
180 Medical
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: Early June
Physical disabilities: This scholarship is open to graduate students with spinal cord injuries, spina bifida, transverse myelitis, neurogenic bladder or ostomy. Eligible students can be studying any field.
American Association of People with Disabilities
Amount: $5,625
Deadline: Varies
AAPD is able to offer this scholarship to graduate students with disabilities that are pursuing degrees in communications or other media-related studies, thanks to a generous endowment by NBCUniversal.
American Association on Health and Disability
Amount: Up to $1,000
Deadline: Mid-November
The Frederick J. Krause Scholarship on Health and Disability is open to any graduate students with disabilities, with preference given to those who are pursuing a course of study related to disability and health.
American Council of the Blind
Amount: $1,500 to $3,000
Deadline: Early March
Visual disabilities: Regardless of their intended area of study, graduate students with visual disabilities are encouraged to apply for this annual scholarship funded by the ACB.
American Foundation for the Blind
Amount: $1,000-$2,500
Deadline: Late May
Visual disabilities: AFB offers numerous scholarships to graduate students with visual disabilities, including one for individuals studying a topic related to rehabilitation or education of blind individuals. Other eligible fields of study include STEM, literature or music.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: Late May
Speech, language and hearing disabilities: ASLHF offers a variety of scholarships to graduate students with speech, language or hearing disabilities, who are studying communication sciences and disorders.
Blind Veterans Association
Amount: $2,000
Deadline: Mid-April
Visual disabilities: Graduate students who are either blinded veterans, spouse or dependent child of a blinded veteran, are eligible to apply for the Kathern F. Gruber Scholarship. Awards are not dependent on specific degree areas.
Cochlear, Ltd.
Amount: $2,000 for up to four years
Deadline: Early October
Hearing disabilities: Students who have received a Cochlear Baha device are eligible to apply for the Anders Tjellström Scholarship, regardless of their field of study.
Elizabeth Nash Foundation
Amount: $1,000 to $2,500
Deadline: Early February
Physical disabilities: Open to graduate students with cystic fibrosis, the Elizabeth Nash scholarships recognize students pursuing a wide variety of degrees at accredited institutions in the United States.
Fit Small Business
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: Early December
Physical disabilities: Graduate students with disabilities who have written a business plan for academic or personal use are able to submit these projects, along with a 500 to 1,000-word essay about what they learned during the process, for a chance to win this cash award.
Foundation for Science and Disability
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: Early December
Graduate students with any disability are encouraged to apply for this one-time award, which is given to students in fields related to mathematics, science, medicine, technology or engineering.
Amount: $10,000
Deadline: Early December
Visible or invisible disability: Graduate or PhD students with disabilities who are studying computer science are eligible to apply to this award. Canadian students are also eligible to receive $5,000. Awards will be given based on a student's demonstrated passion for the field.
Hemophilia Federation of America
Amount: Up to $1,000
Deadline: Late July
Physical disability: The Christopher Mark Pitkin Memorial Scholarship is awarded to graduate students who are members of the hemophilia and bleeding disorders community, whether suffering themselves or the relative of someone who is.
Hemophilia Village
Amount: $4,000
Deadline: Late May
Physical disability: Graduate students who have been diagnosed with hemophilia A or hemophilia B are candidates for receiving this award, which is sponsored by Pfizer.
Homeschool Buyers Co-op
Amount: Between $500 and $2,000
Deadline: Early June
Women with disabilities: Female graduate students with disabilities can apply for the Ethel Louise Armstrong scholarship, regardless of their area of study.
Incight
Amount: $500 to $1,500
Deadline: Early April
Graduate students with any disability recognized by the ADA, DSM0V, IDEA or other governing body are welcome to apply for the Incight Scholarship, provided they are permanent residents of Oregon, Washington or California.
Learning Ally
Amount: $1,000 to $6,000
Deadline: Early March
Visual disabilities: In concert with the National Achievement Awards, the Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Award is given to a student with a visual disability pursuing graduate studies.
Lighthouse Guild
Amount: Up to $10,000
Deadline: Late March
Visual disabilities: The Graduate School Scholarship offered by LG is available to any student enrolled in a master's or PhD program with a visual disability.
The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults
Amount: $2,500 over two semesters
Deadline: Early March
Physical disabilities: The Board of Young Adult Survivors scholarship is awarded to a Baltimore or Washington, D.C. area graduate student who has battled cancer or supported a relative during their cancer journey. Awards are not dependent on the area of study.
The University of Utah
Amount: Varies
Deadline: Winter
Visual disabilities: The Keaton K. Walker Scholarship is open to graduate students on the basis of merit, no matter their chosen field of study.
Want to learn more about succeeding in grad school with a disability?
This guide offers information on how to best understand your rights in college, receive academic accommodations, and find expert advice and resources to support you along the way.
10 Additional Funding Resources For Grad School
Looking for other creative ways to pay for — or reduce your debt from — a graduate degree? Aside from the scholarship links provided above, these resources are designed to help students navigate the world of scholarships, grants, and student loan debt.
BigFuture Scholarship Search . Powered by The College Board, this database includes more than 2,200 available scholarships, totaling nearly $6 billion possible funding options.
Fellowships in science. Pathways to Science offers a database of master's and doctoral level fellowships for students looking to work within the field of science.
Financial Aid for Graduate and Professional Degree Students . The U.S. Department of Education provides this helpful guide on federal funding options for graduate-level education.
Five Tips for Saving Money in Grad School. Huffington Post shared this helpful post recently, which gives tips to graduate students on ways to cut costs.
Four Creative Ways to Reduce Your Student Loan Debt. U.S. News offers a number of ideas that are outside the box for paying off pesky student loans more quickly after completing a graduate program.
Grants.gov . The federal government offers a database of numerous federal bodies eager to share grant funding with graduate students and other individuals contributing to significant research.
How to Do Money Before, During & After Grad School. This post by Billfold goes into a lot of questions that Millennial students may not have fully researched, including whether or not to start investing in a retirement plan before starting grad school.
Peterson's Scholarship Tool . Peterson's is a leading producer of test prep and practice materials, so prospective grad students are likely familiar with this brand. In addition to review materials, the site also provides a helpful scholarship search.
Pivot . This innovative funding opportunity database connects institutional staff and scholars with organizations looking to fund research while encouraging a collaborative workflow between researchers and faculty.
Understanding student assistantships . Cornell University offers a great review of what a student assistantship entails, how to be competitive for these, and benefits included. Other schools typically have similar pages on their website, so the student should research their prospective institutions.