Top Scholarships for Disabled Students in 2021
If you are a student with “disAbilities,” as we like to say, you landed in the right place! As the list below demonstrates, there are many scholarships for disabled students, both physical and mental in nature. Our list also includes scholarships for certain inflammatory diseases and cancer. Some of these scholarships for disabled students require documentation, so give yourself ample time to complete the applications!
- Top Scholarships for Students with Disabilities
- Resources for Students with Disabilities
- Summary of Scholarships for Students with Disabilities
Top Scholarships for Disabled Students in 2021
$3,405 Ethel Hayes Destigmatization of Mental Health Scholarship
- Eligibility: Open to students at every level of education who write a short essay about mental health
- Amount: $3,405
- Deadline: June 13, 2021
$1,000 RJ Mitte Breaking Barriers Scholarship
- Eligibility: This scholarship will be awarded to a high school or undergraduate student with a mental or physical disability in need of support financing their education
- Amount: $1,000
- Deadline: April 30, 2021
Academy of Special Dreams Scholarship
- Eligibility: Eligible special needs applicants will have applied to and/or have been accepted or are currently enrolled in a college or university, trade school, art school, or other recognized degree-awarding program with an expressed desire to study or major in any field of Art
- Amount: $250 to $1,000
- Deadline: Rolling
American Council of the Blind’s (ACB) Scholarship Program
- Eligibility: Applicants need to be legally blind, maintain a 3.0 GPA to be eligible for most scholarships, be a full-time student (or a student who works 32 or more hours per week and attends college part time), and be involved in their school/local community
- Amount: $2,000 to $7,500, depending on whether applicant is attending a technical college or as an entering freshman, undergraduate, or a graduate student
- Deadline: February 15, 2021 11:59pm (CST)
Elevate Mental Health Awareness Scholarship
- Eligibility: Open to students at every level of education who have had challenges with mental health or who have had loved ones who have struggled with mental health
- Amount: $500
- Deadline: May 31, 2021
John Lepping Memorial Scholarship: Disabled Students
- Eligibility: Open to permanent residents of New York, New Jersey or Pennsylvania who have physical conditions (spinal cord injury, loss of limb, birth defects, etc.) and/or psychological conditions (autism, post- traumatic stress etc.). Scholarship recipients must be able to provide proof of disability with letter of confirmation by a physician
- Amount: $5,000
- Deadline: May 1, 2021
Lep Foundation CURE – Cancer Support Scholarship
- Eligibility: Open to college-bound students diagnosed with cancer and whose disease and related treatments placed a significant financial burden on them and their families. Academic achievement is considered
- Amount: $5,000
- Deadline: June 1, 2021
L.I.F.E. Scholarships
- Eligibility: Applicants must be diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus, attending/planning to attend college in Fall 2021, and have a 3.) or higher GPA
- Amount: $500
- Deadline: July 1, 2021
Lighthouse Guild College Bound Scholarship
- Eligibility: Scholarships are open to visually impaired/blind high school students who will be incoming freshmen and graduate education (Master’s degree, PhD, MD, JD, or other post-baccalaureate degree) students, already attending or planning to attend graduate school
- Amount: Varies
- Deadline: March 31, 2021
Rent-a-Knee Walker Scholarship
- Eligibility: Current high school seniors or college students with a 3.0 GPA or higher. Students with physical disabilities will be given priority
- Amount: $500
- Deadline: March 1, 2021
WiseGeek Disability Scholarship
- Eligibility: Open to students at any grade level or field of study who have a disability and large ambitions for their lives
- Amount: $500
- Deadline: August 2, 2021
WiseGeek Mental Health Well-Being No-Essay Scholarship
- Eligibility: Open to college students at every level who have experienced mental health challenges
- Amount: $500
- Deadline: March 31, 2021
Resources for Students with Disabilities
American Psychological Association: Reasonable Accommodations Explained
This article if an excellent place to start if you are wondering exactly what accommodations you are legally entitled to in college. Knowledge is power, so empower yourself by learning your rights.
National Center for College Students with Disabilities Clearinghouse
This database offers an amazing number of quality resources about disabilities and higher education all in one place.
National Resources for Students with Disabilities in Higher Education
This is a great website to find a variety of resources for college-bound or current college students with disabilities.
Summary of Scholarships for Students with Disabilities
- $3,405 Ethel Hayes Destigmatization of Mental Health Scholarship
- $1,000 RJ Mitte Breaking Barriers Scholarship
- Academy of Special Dreams Scholarship
- American Council of the Blind’s (ACB) Scholarship Program
- Elevate Mental Health Awareness Scholarship
- John Lepping Memorial Scholarship: Disabled Students
- Lep Foundation CURE – Cancer Support Scholarship
- L.I.F.E. Scholarships
- Lighthouse Guild College Bound Scholarship
- Rent-a-Knee Walker Scholarship
- WiseGeek Disability Scholarship
- WiseGeek Mental Health Well-Being No-Essay Scholarship
Expired Scholarships
AbbVie Immunology Scholarship
- Eligibility: Students with one of the listed inflammatory diseased enrolling in full-time undergraduate or graduate study at an accredited United States (US) two-year or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school for the 2021-2022 academic year
- Amount: $15,000
- Deadline: December 7, 2020
Baer Reintegration Scholarship
- Eligibility: Open to students eighteen years or older diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or schizoaffective disorder who plan/are enrolled in high school equivalency programs, trade or vocational schools, certificate programs, or associate’s, bachelor’s, or graduate degree college/university programs
- Amount: Varies based on each winner’s financial needs and educational goals
- Deadline: January 15, 2021
Microsoft Disability Scholarship
- Eligibility: Applicants must be college-bound current high school seniors living with a disability (as defined by WHO), whether that be visual, hearing, mobility, cognitive, speech or other disability. Applicant must have a 3.0 or above GPA, a passion for technology, and require financial assistance to attend college
- Amount: $20,000 ($5,000 per year for four years)
- Deadline: March 1, 2021
Scheigert Scholarship
- Eligibility: Open to students with low vision enrolled as full-time students. Must have a minimum cumulative 3.2 Grade Point Average (GPA)
- Amount: $3,000 (three scholarships are awarded)
- Deadline: March 1, 2021 (opens January 1)