Does NIDILRR make grants to students? If not, who does?
The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation does not fund individual grants to students for the purpose of college or graduate level education. We recommend the following resources to find grants, scholarships, and benefits which you may help you finance your education:
- A Practical Guide for People with Disabilities who Want to Go to College: http://tucollaborative.org/pdfs/education/College_Guide.pdf
- Federal, state, and local benefit programs for education (from benefits.gov): http://www.benefits.gov/benefits/browse-by-category/category/EDU
- Federal Student Aid Office at the US Department of Education: https://studentaid.ed.gov/
- Grant info from studentaid: https://studentaid.ed.gov/types/grants-scholarships
- Fastweb database: http://www.fastweb.com/ Please note: This is a commercial service which offers free membership in exchange for collecting marketing information.
- Collegescholarships.org: http://www.collegescholarships.org/disabilities.htm
- Needy Meds: http://www.es.needymeds.org/scholarships.taf?_function=list_s
- UniversityHQ: https://universityhq.org/paying-for-college/scholarships/#scholarships_for_students_with_disabilities
- Scholarships and grants for specific disabilities or groups:
- Learning disabilities: https://www.ncld.org/scholarships-and-awards
- Intellectual disabilities: http://www.thinkcollege.net/topics/paying-for-college
- Amputees: http://nationalamputation.org/scholar1.html and http://www.amputee-coalition.org/events-programs/scholarships/
- Spinal cord injury and dysfunction: http://www.spinalcord.org/resource-center/askus/index.php?pg=kb.chapter&id=56
- Blindness and low vision: http://www.afb.org/info/other-scholarships-and-grants-for-students-blind-or-visually-impaired/5
- Deaf and hard of hearing: http://www.gallaudet.edu/clerc_center/information_and_resources/
info_to_go/transition_to_adulthood/financial_aid_.html - Autism spectrum disorders: http://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/resource-library/post-secondary-education-resources
- Diabetes: http://diabetesscholars.org/college-scholarship/
- Multiple sclerosis: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Resources-Support/Insurance-and-Financial-Information/Financial-Resources/Scholarship-Program
These are just a few of the resources we identified online. Searching for scholarship opportunities can be time consuming, but worth it. If you're already in school or have applied, make sure to be in touch with a financial aid officer as well as the office of disability services, as they may know of other programs you may qualify for.
As always, read application instructions carefully. Beware of scholarship scams and fee-for-service programs. Understand your rights and responsibilities as an applicant, grantee, or borrower.
Good luck!
