Financial Aid, Benefits, and Grants
General/Federal
- USA.gov Tutorials - Help Finding Government Information Online
- www.usa.gov/About/tutorials/index.shtml
Assistive Technology and Home Modification
- Alternative Financing Technical Assistance Project
- Listing of State AT and Telework Financial Loan Programs Assistive Technology Alternative Financing Programs and Access to Telework Loan Programs
Administered by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA)
www.resnaprojects.org/AFTAP/RESNA.html
www.resnaprojects.org/nattap/RESNA.html - Lions Club and Rexton Hearing Aid Program
- Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) and Rexton, Inc. are offering two digital hearing aids through Lions hearing programs and Lions clubs. The Lions act as a conduit between audiologists and recipients. Typically, the audiologist is asked to test the patient, make ear molds, program the hearing aids and provide follow-up visits. The audiologist and Lions club agree on the charges for services, which are paid by either by the Lions club or other sources. *(Eligibility for the program is limited to people at up to 200% above the federal poverty level).
Listing of Grant Programs: www.lionsclubs.org/EN/content/lcif_grants_programs.shtml
Locate Local Lions Club: www.lionsclubs.org/EN/content/resources_club.shtml
Financial Aid for Education
- Disaboom's Directory of Scholarships
- Lists scholarships by disability
www.disaboom.com/Resources/DisabilityScholarships/Default.aspx - HEATH Resources Center – Financial Aid Information for Students with Disabilities
- Please Note: HEATH does not take requests by phone. All resources are available online. Questions may be submitted by email
AskHEATH@gwu.edu
www.heath.gwu.edu - The International Center for Disability Resources on the Internet
- List of Resources for Students with Disabilities in Need of Financial Assistance
www.icdri.org/Financial%20Aid/finaid.htm - The SmartStudentTM Guide to Financial Aid Online (FinAid)
- Phone: 724/538-4500 (General information only: Does not answer questions over the phone)
Ask the Aid Advisor: www.finaid.org/questions/askadvisor.phtml
www.finaid.org - Students.gov – Paying for your Education
- Providing students and their families with a student-centered, interagency gateway to the federal services and information they need from across the entire US government and selected non-government sites.
www.students.gov - U.S. Department of Education – Federal Student Aid
- Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC): 800/433-3243
TTY users (for the hearing-impaired) can call: 800/730-8913
Callers in locations without access to 800 numbers may call – 319/337-5665 (this is not a toll free number)
studentaid.ed.gov - Direct Loan Borrowers
Toll Free: 800/848-0979, 800/848-0983 (TTD), 315/738-6634
(Questions about loan, Address/name changes, Repayment estimates, Repayment plan changes, & Deferment and forbearance forms). Direct Loan Servicing website - Defaulted Loans, Loan Consolidation, and Loan Forgiveness:
Defaulted Loans (Borrowers whose loans are in default, Debt collection services) 800/621-3115 (V), 800/730-8913 (TTY), Spanish speakers are available (se habla español). - Loan Consolidation (Applications for loan consolidation, Questions about loan consolidation) 800/557-7392 (V), 800/557-7395 (TTY)
Loan Forgiveness Information and Forms
www.staffordloan.com/repayment/federal-student-loan-forgiveness.php
Discharge Application for Total and Permanent Disability:
www.ed.gov/offices/OSFAP/DCS/forms/disable.pdf
Other Forms: www.ed.gov/offices/OSFAP/DCS/forms.htmlFSA Ombudsman of the Department of Education
Phone: 877/557-2575
www.ombudsman.ed.gov/about/contactus.html
Grants and Research Funding
Please note: Grants are usually for research or community development. They are very rarely made to individuals.
- The Foundation Center
- Strengthing the nonprofit sector by advancing knowledge about U.S. philanthropy.
Toll Free: 800/424-9836, 212/620-4230
fdncenter.org - Grants.gov
- Toll Free: 800/518-4726, Available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. EST
www.grants.gov - The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)
- NIDRR Grants & Funding
Providing leadership and support for a comprehensive program of research related to the rehabilitation of individuals with disabilities.
www.ed.gov/fund/grant/find/edlite-forecast.html#chart7
Phone: 202/245-7640 (V/TTY)
www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/nidrr/index.html
Health Insurance, Prescription Assistance, and Medicare/Medicaid
- CancerCare's Financial Assistance Program/Resources
- Provides limited funds to eligible families for expenses related to treatment like transportation, child care, and home care.
Toll Free: 800/813-4673
www.cancercare.org/get_help/assistance/index.php?origin=enews_0709p - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
- Toll Free: 877/267-2323 (V), 866/226-1819 (TTY), 410/786-3000 (V), 410/786-0727 (TTY)
www.cms.hhs.gov for administrators, researchers, and providers.
www.medicare.gov for Medicare participants. - Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services –
- Resource for Medicaid State & Territorial Government Information http://www.cms.hhs.gov/States/
- Eldercare Locator – Search for providers/resources
- Toll Free: 800/677-1116 (V/TTY)
- Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST
www.eldercare.gov - Financial Assistance Resources from MedlinePlus
- www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/financialassistance.html
- HealthInsuranceInfo.net
- Operated by the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute and provides state-by-state Consumer Guides for Getting and Keeping Health Insurance.
healthinsuranceinfo.net - Medication Foundation
- Information clearinghouse for low cost and no cost prescription drug programs.
www.medicationfoundation.com - National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)
- Assisting state insurance regulators, individually and collectively, in serving the public interest and achieving the following fundamental insurance regulatory goals in a responsive, efficient and cost effective manner, consistent with the wishes of its members: Protect the public interest; promote competitive markets; facilitate the fair and equitable treatment of insurance consumers; promote the reliability, solvency and financial solidity of insurance institutions; and support and improve state regulation of insurance.
Phone: 816/842-3600,
Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. CST
www.naic.org - NAIC Listing of State Insurance Department Websites
- www.naic.org/state_web_map.htm
- National Consumer Insurance Helpline
- Toll Free: 800/942-4242
- NeedyMeds
- On-line resource for discount/free medications directly from the manufacturer. Provides and information source (like the Yellow Pages) on programs that drug companies have that offer free or reduced rates on prescription medications to individuals who have no insurance and qualify for their programs.
www.needymeds.com
NeedyMeds – Listing of State Programs that Offer Medication Assistance
www.needymeds.com/state_programs.taf - National Organization of Rare Diseases (NORD) Medication Assistance Programs
- www.rarediseases.org/programs/medication
- Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA)
- Listing of Participating Companies: www.pparx.org/ViewCompanies.php
PDF Directory of Participating Companies: www.pparx.org/sites/default/files/PPA_Directory.pdf - Patient Access Network Foundation (PANF)
- Provides financial support for out-of-pocket health care costs associated with a range of drugs to treat a number of conditions.
Toll Free: 866/316-7263
Email: contact@patientaccessnetwork.org
www.patientaccessnetwork.org - RxAssist: Patient Assistance Program Center
- Patient assistance programs are run by pharmaceutical companies to provide free medications to people who cannot afford to buy their medicine. RxAssist provides a comprehensive database of these patient assistance programs, as well as practical tools, news, and articles so that health care professionals and patients can find the information they need.
www.rxassist.org - RxHope, Inc.
- RxHope is the only patient assistance Internet initiative financially supported by PhRMA (Pharmaceutical and Research Manufacturers of America) and participating pharmaceutical companies.
Phone: 908/713-7600
www.rxhope.com - Workers Comp Rx – Pharmacy Services for Injured Workers
- www.workerscomprx.com
Private and non-profit lenders
These are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of services.
- Lending Club
- Lending Club is an online lending community where people can borrow and lend money, bypass the banks, and get better rates. Uses the proprietary technology called LendingMatch™ which helps match lenders with borrowers using connections established through social networks, associations and online communities, and build diversified portfolios based on lender preferences. (Reliable Internet Access Required)
www.lendingclub.com/home.action - Modest Needs
- Modest Needs is a charitable organization reaching out to the people who conventional philanthropy has forgotten. They offer three grants: self-sufficiency, back-to-work, and independent living. Grants are funded by donors who invest (donate), they review the request ledger and offer investment points. (Reliable Internet Access Required)
www.modestneeds.org - Morgan Project
- Provides support to parents/caregivers and acts as a reference source for information, financial resources, used equipment exchanges, research and clinical studies, support groups, web links, etc. Makes small individual grants (products & services only) to parents/caregivers of children with special needs for travel expenses, adaptive devices, durable medical equipment not covered by Medicaid, vehicle modifications, respite services, and non-covered items that would enhance caring for children with special needs easier and improve their quality of life.
Email: info@themorganproject.org
www.themorganproject.org - Prosper
- A loan organization where people who need money request it, and other people bid for the privlege of lending it to them. (Reliable Internet Access Required)
www.prosper.com
Social Security and other General Benefit Programs
- Benefits Check-Up
- Helps thousands of people every day to connect to government programs that can help them pay for prescription drugs, health care, utilities, and other needs. Benefits Check-Up is a service of the National Council on Aging.
www.benefitscheckup.org - The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance On-line (CFDA)
- The online Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance gives access to a database of all Federal programs available to State and local governments (including the District of Columbia); federally -recognized Indian tribal governments; Territories (and possessions) of the United States; domestic public, quasi-public, and private profit and nonprofit organizations and institutions; specialized groups; and individuals.
www.cfda.gov - A Desktop Guide to SSI Eligibility Requirements by SSA2002
- Information about SSI Requirements, Definitions, Exclusions, and Additional State Programs.
http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/lps4345/11001.html - Disability Benefits 101 (DB101) – California Only
- Assists workers, job seekers and service providers to understand the connections between work and benefits. DB101 brings together the rules for health coverage, benefit and employment programs that people with disabilities use.
www.disabilitybenefits101.org - Federal Information Line for Government Benefits Through Benefits.gov and Loans.gov
- Toll Free: 800/333-4636
Press 1 for the library, then 2 for federal assistance programs>
www.benefits.gov or www.loans.gov - Listing of Government Benefits, Grants and Financial Aid on USA.gov
- Toll Free: 800/333-4636
Federal Citizen Information Center
Office of Citizen Services and Communications
www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Benefits.shtml - "Navigating the System: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI)"
- by Peter McKee, Attorney, Douglas, Drachler & McKee, LLP — A SCI Forum presentation
Now available on the Northwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury System Web site for viewing on your computer as streaming video. A written report of the presentation is also online. Visit http://sci.washington.edu/info/forums/reports/ssdi&ssi.asp to watch the video or read the report. - Social Security Administration (SSA)
- Toll Free: 800/772-1213
www.ssa.gov
Guidelines and further information: www.ssa.gov/oig/guidelin.htm
Social Security Administration: An online appeals process: https://secure.ssa.gov/apps6z/iAppeals/ap001.jspSocial Security Fraud (to report) Toll Free Fraud Hotline: 800/269-0271 (V), 866/201-2101 (TTY)
Available 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. ESTUnderstanding Supplemental Security Income (SSI) through SSA: An Introduction to SSI, including what SSI is and who can apply to get SSI.
www.socialsecurity.gov/ssi/text-understanding-ssi.htm - State Disability Insurance (SDI) Contact Numbers – California Only
- Toll Free: 800/480-3287 (V), 800/563-2441 (TTY), 866-658-8846 (Spanish)
Toll Free for California State Government Employees covered by SDI: 866/352-7675
Locate a Local State Disability Insurance Office: www.edd.ca.gov/direp/diloc.htm#Office
www.edd.ca.gov/direp/diind.htm - Internal Revenue Service (IRS) – Federal Tax Information
- Toll Free: 800/829-1040
Locate a Local Office by State: www.irs.gov/localcontacts/index.html
www.irs.gov
Housing and Utilities
- Administration for Children and Families Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
- www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/liheap
- State Food Stamp Information/Hotline Numbers
- www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/contact_info/hotlines.htm