Find College Scholarships That Support Students With Autism
For students with autism, the transition from high school to college is fraught with unique difficulties. In addition to the challenges that every college student faces, young adults with autism spectrum disorders must develop new living skills, navigate a brand-new social landscape, and work hard to ensure that their own learning styles are accommodated, not lost in the shuffle.
It's a tough enough transition that advocacy organization Autism Speaks provides a 13-page guide for students and families. And these challenges come even before you start thinking about paying for it all.
[Learn more about how to pay for college.]
April is National Autism Awareness Month, and so The Scholarship Coach wanted to take a look at ways to help students with autism spectrum disorders afford college. Fortunately, there are college scholarships out there to help, including one whose founder is himself a college graduate with autism.
The KFM Making a Difference scholarship was started by Kerry Magro, a Seton Hall University alumnus, motivational speaker and autism advocate. The program was inspired by Magro's own experiences searching for financial aid.
This award is typically offered twice a year and provides a $500 scholarship to an autistic college student. Applications for the spring 2014 scholarship are open until April 30, so this one is a good place to start.
The Organization for Autism Research scholarships are also currently accepting applications, with a May 2 deadline. OAR offers two separate awards, the Schwallie Family Scholarship for higher-functioning students, and the Lisa Higgins Hussman Scholarship for students with more severe autism diagnoses.
Both scholarships can be used for two- or four-year colleges, technical schools or cooperative life skills programs, so it's worth applying no matter what your plans are after high school.
[Discover scholarships to cover extra college costs.]
The Rise Scholarship Foundation provides scholarships for students with a variety of learning disabilities, and it has introduced an award specific to students with autism spectrum disorders. These $2,500 scholarships are awarded to high school seniors who are planning to attend college the following academic year.
Applications are currently closed, and the 2014 winners will be announced in June. Keep an eye on the Rise website to see what it takes, and plan to apply next winter for 2015.
A number of regional and state scholarships are also available, either through state governments or autism advocacy groups. Autism Delaware , for example, provides $1,000 awards to adults with a diagnosis on the spectrum who are interested in attending college. They also offer scholarships to current and aspiring teachers and therapists focused on the autism community.
The Ohio Department of Education provides scholarships to students with autism between the ages of 3 and 22. Wherever you live, it's likely you can find similar opportunities. Family grants may also help defray some education expenses.
[ Expand your scholarship search with regional award opportunities.]
In addition to autism-specific awards, students may also qualify for scholarships focused on learning or general disabilities. Programs like the American Association on Health and Disability scholarship and the Foundation for Science and Disability Student Award are worth checking out if you're interested in health, science, technology, engineering or mathematics fields.
Finally, remember that your diagnosis -- whatever the severity -- doesn't disqualify you from any scholarship applications. Apply for everything you can. If you need inspiration, check out the story of Sam Sadowitz, a football player, autistic student and winner of a $500,000 Gates Millennium Scholarship.
Matt Konrad has been with Scholarship America since 2005. He is an alumnus of the University of Minnesota and a former scholarship recipient.
