Lyme Disease College Scholarship Opportunities: A Comprehensive Guide
Navigating college as a student is already challenging, but for those diagnosed with Lyme disease, the hurdles can seem insurmountable. Chronic health challenges, costly treatments, and missed academic opportunities create significant barriers. Fortunately, various organizations offer Lyme Disease College Scholarship programs to empower these students, providing financial support and recognition of their resilience. These scholarships acknowledge the immense financial toll Lyme and other tick-borne diseases can take on patients and their families. This article provides a comprehensive guide to Lyme disease college scholarship opportunities and other financial assistance programs available in the United States.
Understanding the Financial Burden of Lyme Disease
Lyme disease affects every aspect of a student's life, impacting attendance, performance, emotional well-being, and financial stability. The Lyme Disease College Scholarship is more than just financial aid. It's a recognition of the student’s strength and perseverance. We understand the enormous financial toll Lyme and other tick-borne diseases can take on patients and families.
Lyme-Specific Financial Assistance Programs
Several non-profit organizations specifically offer financial assistance to individuals affected by Lyme disease:
- LymeLight Foundation: As a 501(c)3 non-profit, the LymeLight Foundation provides grants to children and young adults battling Lyme disease.
- Ride Out Lyme: This 501(c)3 non-profit focuses on providing financial assistance to adults aged 26 years or older who are dealing with Lyme disease.
- Sam’s Spoons: Serving residents of Pennsylvania, Sam’s Spoons, a 501(c)3 non-profit, offers financial assistance to help cover the costs of Lyme disease treatment and other medical expenses.
Important Note: Generation Lyme is not affiliated with any financial assistance program and does not participate in providing financial assistance.
General Scholarship Opportunities for Students with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses
Beyond Lyme-specific programs, numerous scholarships cater to students with disabilities and chronic illnesses, including Lyme disease:
Read also: Journey Through Time in Old Lyme
General Disability
- AAHD Frederick J. Krause Scholarship on Health and Disability: This annual scholarship supports students with disabilities majoring in public health, disability studies, health promotion, or related fields.
- Life Grants: These grants support projects and goals for individuals aged 18-30 who have life-threatening conditions.
- AAPD Paul G. Hearne Cross-Disability Scholarship: This scholarship recognizes emerging leaders with disabilities who demonstrate leadership, advocacy, and dedication to the cross-disability community.
- Team See Possibilities Scholarship for Blind Students: Scholarship for graduating high school Seniors or be pursuing an Undergraduate or Graduate degree, or Professional Trade at a Vocational or Trade School.
- AER William and Dorothy Ferrell Scholarship for the Blind and Visually Impaired: AER proudly offers educational scholarships for individuals continuing their education in the field of providing services to the blind and visually impaired. The William and Dorothy Ferrell Scholarship is awarded every other year in even years to two selected applicants who are legally blind and are studying for a career in the field of services to persons who are blind or visually impaired.
- The Fred Scheigert Scholarship Program for the Blind: The Fred Scheigert Scholarship Program awards three (3) students an individual prize of $3,000. This competitive scholarship is available to full-time college students with low vision, chosen from among those who meet the visual acuity and academic guidelines.
- Lighthouse Guild Scholarships for the Blind and Visually Impaired: Each year, we offer up to 20 scholarships for outstanding high school students who are legally blind from across the United States. We also provide an annual scholarship to at least one qualifying graduate student. The award is unrestricted, so it can be used as needed: for tuition, room and board, books, supplies, or travel.
- Holman Prize for the Blind and Visually Impaired: The Holman Prize was designed to support the growth of adventurous spirits, entrepreneurship and leadership within the blind community, in any form it may present itself. We launched the Holman Prize which awards three blue-sky thinkers who are blind or have low vision up to $25,000 to realize a big idea.
Deaf
- AGBell Scholarships for the Deaf: A wide variety of grants & scholarships for the Deaf Community.
- The Graduate Fellowship Fund for DHH Students: The Graduate Fellowship Fund (GFF) provides financial assistance to deaf and hard of hearing graduates of accredited colleges and universities who are studying full-time in terminal degree programs.
- Sertoma Deaf and Communicative Disorder Student Scholarships: Students with clinically significant bilateral hearing loss, graduating from high school, or undergraduate students pursuing four-year college degrees in any discipline are eligible for the scholarship.
Chronic Illness
- EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases Scholarships: The EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases provided one-time awards of $5,000 scholarships to 81 rare disease recipients.
- Hemophilia Federation of America Scholarships: Each year, HFA awards scholarships to promising students in the bleeding disorders community.
- Patient Advocate Chronic Illness and Cancer Student Scholarships: The Scholarship for Survivors program to honor individuals by offering educational scholarships to students who have suffered (or are suffering) from cancer or a chronic illness. These students have, despite their diagnosis, excelled academically, served the community, and desire to pursue a secondary education.
- The National Collegiate Cancer Foundation Scholarship: The National Collegiate Cancer Foundation was established to provide services and support to young adults whose lives have been impacted by cancer and who have continued with their education throughout treatment or after their treatment. These $1,000 competitive awards will be judged based on the criteria listed below.
- Hydrocephalus Association Scholarships for Students with Hydrocephalus: The Hydrocephalus Association’s Scholarship Program was established in 1994 to provide financial assistance to capable and promising young adults who live with the ongoing challenges and complexities of hydrocephalus. We are proud to offer a total of eleven scholarships this year in the amount of $1000 each. However, the number of awarded scholarships may vary each year depending on available funding.
- Beth Carew Memorial Scholarship Program: Any undergraduate student with hemophilia, von Willebrand disease, or a related inherited bleeding disorder is eligible to apply for the Beth Carew Memorial Scholarship.
- The Lyme Disease Scholarship: This $1,000 scholarship is designed to ease the financial burdens of one student each year who has spent a great deal of money in medical expenses for the treatment of chronic Lyme disease.
- AbbVie CF Scholarship: The AbbVie CF Scholarship program honors those who are thriving with Cystic Fibrosis, offering the chance to WIN UP TO $25,000 in pursuit of a higher education.
Learning Disabilities
- LearningAlly Scholarships for Print and Learning Disabled Students: Learning Ally offers three endowed scholarship awards for outstanding students with print and learning disabilities.
- Anne Ford Scholarship for Students with Learning Disablities/ADHD: The Anne Ford Scholarship is a $10,000 scholarship ($2,500/year over four years) granted to a graduating high school senior who will be enrolled in a full-time bachelor’s degree program in the fall. Students must have a documented learning disability (LD) and/or ADHD.
- Morelli Foundation Scholarship for Students with Learning and Language Disabilities: Applicants must be either a high school student or a post-high school student, who will be attending an accredited undergraduate school, technical school, or community college in the United States in the Fall of 2022. Graduate students are not eligible.Applicants must be pursuing a degree in STEM field (science, technology, engineering, math) Applicants must have a demonstrated learning challenge (disability) of dyslexia or similar reading and/or language-based disability.
- Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarship for Students with Learning Disabilities/ADHD: The Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarship is a $5,000 scholarship awarded over two years ($2,500 each year) to a graduating high school senior who will enroll in a two-year community college, a vocational or technical training program, or a specialized program for students with LD and/or ADHD in the fall. Students must have a documented learning disability (LD) and/or ADHD.
- CHADD Nicholas Costa Undergraduate Scholarship for Students with ADHD: In honor of Nicholas Costa’s outstanding dedication to help improve the lives of people with ADHD, an undergraduate scholarship program was created to assist students with ADHD in obtaining a degree from a two-year or four-year college. Through the program, CHADD supports up to five undergraduate students with a $2,000-$5,000 scholarship to help support undergraduate tuition at a two-year or four-year college or university.
Physical Disabilities
Read also: Understanding Lyme Academy Costs
- Bryon Riesch Paralysis Foundation Scholarships: A $2000 to $4000 scholarship shall be awarded to two to three individuals with neurological disabilities, or the child of that person, for post high school education yearly (once a year). All of the following criteria must be met by an applicant to be considered eligible.
- CHASA Childhood Stroke Survivor Scholarship: CHASA is proud to offer college and vocational school scholarships for students with a diagnosis of hemiplegia or hemiparesis due to any cause, or a diagnosis of pediatric stroke.
- 180 Medical Scholarship: The 180 Medical Scholarship Program is open to full-time college students living with specific medical conditions, including spinal cord injuries, spina bifida, transverse myelitis, neurogenic bladder, or an ostomy.
- ABC Law Cerebral Palsy Scholarship: ABC Law Centers awards one scholarship per year in the amount of $1,000 to a student who has cerebral palsy. Our annual scholarship is designed to increase awareness about cerebral palsy (CP) and celebrate the achievements of those with cerebral palsy.
- The Claude S. Weiler Scholarship for Amputee College Students: The National Amputation Foundation is proud to offer scholarships to college students with a major limb amputation, who will be attending an accredited university as a full time student.
Other Disabilities
- NOAH Albinism McGowan Leadership Scholarship Award: NOAH established the Michael J. McGowan Leadership Scholarship Award in 2008 to recognize leadership and empower young people with albinism.
- Autistic Self Advocacy Network Autism Campus Inclusion Scholarship: ACI helps autistic students learn to make their college campuses better for people with disabilities. ACI participants learn about making student groups, understanding disability policy, and talking to people in power. Capitol to talk to their Senators and Representatives about policies important to the disability community.
Eligibility and Application Requirements
While specific eligibility criteria vary depending on the scholarship, some common requirements include:
- Formal Diagnosis: Most scholarships require a formal diagnosis of Lyme disease or the relevant disability/chronic illness.
- Age: Some scholarships have age restrictions (e.g., must be at least 13 years of age or older, or between 18-35).
- Enrollment: Applicants typically need to be enrolled or planning to enroll in an accredited college, university, or vocational institution.
- Academic Standing: Many scholarships require a certain level of academic achievement.
Important Note: Deadlines range from February to June depending on the organization.
Additional Resources and Focused Funds
Beyond scholarships, several organizations offer additional resources and support for individuals with Lyme disease:
- The Lyme Foundation: In addition to its main fund, the Lyme Foundation oversees several focused funds:
- The Rachel Miller Gift: Recognizes Citizens of the Year to persons who have rendered outstanding service as citizens of the Town of Lyme.
- The William and Justine Griffith Memorial Scholarship Fund: Provides financial assistance in the form of grants or loans at below-market interest rates to needy residents of Lyme who are: 1) United States citizens, 2) under the age of 30 years, and 3) enrolled in an undergraduate college, university, or vocational or technical school, or other educational program.
- The Ackerly Fund: Supports initiatives in Lyme that promote the natural environment, education, and aging in place. This is a spend-down fund which welcomes grant proposals that support its priorities.
- The Pearl Dimick Committee: Advises the Lyme Foundation with the management of the following funds.
Tips for Finding and Applying for Scholarships
- Start Early: Begin your scholarship search well in advance of application deadlines.
- Research Thoroughly: Carefully review the eligibility criteria and application requirements for each scholarship.
- Craft a Compelling Application: Highlight your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and personal experiences related to Lyme disease.
- Seek Recommendations: Obtain strong letters of recommendation from teachers, counselors, or healthcare professionals.
- Proofread Carefully: Ensure your application is free of errors in grammar and spelling.
Read also: Scholarships for Celiac Disease
tags: #lyme #disease #college #scholarship #opportunities
