Financial Aid, Benefits, and Grants

General/Federal

Assistive Technology and Home Modification

Center for Assistive Technology Act Data Assistance Program —State AT Programs

Provides state AT program information. Each State is broken down by topic including: state financing activities, device reutilization, device loan, and device demonstration.
www.catada.info/content/state-program-information.
Lions Club and Rexton Hearing Aid Program: Local Lions clubs work with individuals to determine their eligibility (based on income) and arrange testing by a partner hearing care professional. The Lions club communicates with Lions AHAP to request and arrange shipping of the hearing aid(s). The selected hearing care professional then ensures proper fit of the aid, and provides follow-up care to make adjustments as needed.
Listing of Grant Programs: www.lcif.org/EN/lions-center/grants/index.php.
Locate a local Lions Club for more information and qualifications: directory.lionsclubs.org.

Financial Aid for Education

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)

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.studentaid.ed.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 dial 800 numbers may call – 334/523-26991 (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). Federal Student Aid 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)

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program
studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service.

Forgiveness, cacellation, and discharge of student loan(s) information:
studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation.

Information on the FSA Ombudsman through the U.S. Department of Education
Phone: 877/557-2575
studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/disputes.

Grants and Research Funding

Please note: Grants are usually for research or community development. They are very rarely made to individuals.

The Foundation Center: Strengthening 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
www.grants.gov.

The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR): Providing leadership and support for a comprehensive program of research related to the rehabilitation of individuals with disabilities.
For information about NIDILRR grants, grant forecasts, and other granting institutions, visit our "About NIDILRR Funding and Other Grant Resources" page at www.naric.com/?q=en/node/33.

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.gov for administrators, researchers, and providers.
www.medicare.gov for Medicare participants
Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services –: Resource for Medicaid State & Territorial Government Information:
www.medicare.gov/Contacts.
Eldercare Locator – Search for providers/resources: Toll Free: 800/677-1116, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST
eldercare.acl.gov/Public/Index.aspx.
Financial Assistance Resources from MedlinePlus: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/financialassistance.html.
Help Hope Live
Help Hope Live supports community-based fundraising for people with unmet medical and related expenses due to cell and organ transplants or catastrophic injuries and illnesses throughout the country. They Provide assistance with the application process and with the fundraising campaign.
Toll free: 800/642-8399
helphopelive.org/.

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: Online 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.
NeedyMeds – Listing of State Programs that Offer Medication Assistance
www.needymeds.org/state_programs.taf.
www.needymeds.org.
National Organization of Rare Diseases (NORD) Medication Assistance Programs: Under "Help to Access Medications" Section
rarediseases.org/for-patients-and-families.
Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA): Listing of Participating Companies: www.pparx.org/ViewCompanies.php.
www.pparx.org.
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@panfoundation.org.
www.panfoundation.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.
www.rxhope.com.

Private and non-profit lenders

These resources are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of services. Additionally, we do not guarantee eligibility for the following services. Please contact the listed organizations to learn more about their eligibility requirements.

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. Modestneeds.org has employment and income requirements which are explained during the application process. (Reliable Internet Access Required)
FAQ (includes information on eligibility requirements): www.modestneeds.org/for-applicants/faq.asp.
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 peer-to-peer lending organization cutting out the middleman to connect people who need money with those who have money to invest. (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 Online (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.
permanent.access.gpo.gov/lps4345/11001.html.

Disability Benefits 101 (DB101) – Alaska, Arizona, California, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, and Ohio 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.govloans.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 Innovative Technologies.
www.usa.gov/benefits

"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 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.

Social Security Administration: An online appeals process: secure.ssa.gov/apps6z/iAppeals/ap001.jsp.

Social Security Fraud (to report) Toll Free Fraud Hotline: 800/269-0271 (V), 866/201-2101 (TTY)
Available 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. EST

Understanding 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/Office_Locator.
www.edd.ca.gov/Disability.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) – Federal Tax Information

Toll Free: 800/829-1040
Locate a Local Office by State: www.irs.gov/help/contact-your-local-irs-office.
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/snap/state-informationhotline-numbers.; Not finding what you need? Search our Knowlegebase of disability and rehabilitation resources: http://naric.com/?q=en/Knowledgebase.

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