How to Find Scholarships for Students With Disabilities

There are many scholarship programs for students with learning disabilities, designed to meet their unique qualifications and learning needs.

The Learning Disability Association of America (LDA) sponsors scholarships for students with learning disabilities in many states and has lists of additional resources.

As with any application process, be alert to possible scams and that you not apply to any scholarship program that requests application fees or other fees. Also be mindful of application deadlines and requirements, as they can vary.

The Anne Ford and Allegra Ford Scholarship Awards

college student on laptop — ML Harris/Photographer's Choice/Getty Images

The Anne Ford and Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarships offer financial assistance to graduating seniors with documented learning disabilities seeking post-secondary education. The scholarships, named for a mother and daughter, are granted to two students as two separate scholarships.

The Anne Ford is a four-year scholarship in the amount of $10,000, disbursed as $2,500 per school year for a student pursuing a bachelor's degree. The Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarship is a one-time award of $2,500 given to a student of a two-year community college, vocational-technical school or specialized post-secondary program.

Judith Cary Scholarship

This scholarship of up to $1,000 is awarded to a person seeking a bachelor's or master's degree in special education. Founded by the P. Buckley Moss Society in 1999, the scholarship is named for the late Judith Cary, a high school teacher who worked for the Moss Society, a nonprofit organization focused on children's education.

P. Buckley Moss Endowed Scholarship

This scholarship of at least $1,500 is awarded annually to one or more high school seniors with financial need, a certified language-related learning difference, and artistic talent who plan a career in visual arts.
They can be renewed for up to three years, and students attending two- and four-year degree programs are eligible.

Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Awards

This award is available to legally blind students who have received or will receive a bachelor, master's or doctoral degree from a four-year college or university in the U.S. Awards of between $1,000 and $6,000 are given, and there are academic performance requirements to be eligible.

RiSE Scholarship Foundation

The RiSE Scholarship Foundation, Inc. offers a variety of scholarships to students with learning disabilities, who are pursuing post-secondary education.

Baer Reintegration Scholarship

Reintegration Scholarships are for students with schizophrenia, schizo-affective disorder, or bipolar disorder. Designed to provide financial assistance for educational opportunities including GED programs, trade or vo-tech programs, associate, bachelors and graduate degrees.

Millie Brother CODA Foundation Scholarship

This $3,000 scholarship is for hearing children of deaf parents and is available for undergraduate or graduate study.

These are one-time awards but students may reapply multiple times.

Students of Parents with Disabilities Scholarship

This scholarship is a $1,000 one-time award for high school seniors and college students with at least one parent who has a disability.

Exceptional Nurse

This organization offers scholarships of $500 to students enrolled in nursing programs who serve people with disabilities or who have disabilities themselves.

Hydrocephalus Association

This award is for young adults with hydrocephalus. Fourteen scholarships in the amount of $1,000 are offered annually.

Organization for Autism Research

This organization provides a variety of $3,000 scholarships to students across the autism spectrum who are pursuing full-time, post-secondary, undergraduate education or vocational-technical training,

Sertoma - Oticon Scholarchips for Deaf and Hearing Impaired Students

This organization offers multiple $1,000 scholarships to deaf or significantly bilaterally hearing impaired students in the United States. Students attending undergraduate or graduate school are eligible.

Travelers Protective Association Scholarship Trust for Hearing Impaired

The Traveler's Protective Association scholarship is funded through a trust and is awarded annually to students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.