The Michael Yasick ADHD Scholarship: Empowering Students with ADHD to Pursue Higher Education

For students diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), pursuing higher education can present unique challenges. The Michael Yasick ADHD Scholarship, supported by Shire (later Takeda) and now other organizations, aims to alleviate some of these challenges by providing financial assistance and coaching services to students with ADHD who are pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees. This article will cover the history, eligibility requirements, and benefits of this scholarship, as well as highlight other scholarship opportunities for students with disabilities.

Overview of the Michael Yasick ADHD Scholarship

The Michael Yasick ADHD Scholarship recognizes and supports individuals with ADHD in the U.S. who are pursuing higher education at a college, university, trade school, technical school, or vocational school. The scholarship includes a monetary award to assist with tuition and, in the past, a prepaid year of ADHD coaching from the Edge Foundation to assist in the transition to higher education.

In 2014, Shire renamed the scholarship in memory of Michael Yasick, a senior executive at Shire whose vision made the scholarship possible.

History and Evolution

Shire launched the Michael Yasick ADHD Scholarship in 2011. Since the start of the program, Shire (and later Takeda) awarded hundreds of national and employee scholarships. The program initially provided each recipient with $2,000 in tuition assistance and one year of ADHD coaching services provided by the Edge Foundation.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the Michael Yasick ADHD Scholarship, applicants generally needed to meet the following criteria:

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Be a legal resident of the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia.
Be accepted to or enrolled in a 2- or 4-year Undergraduate Program or a Graduate Program (of one or more years in length) at an accredited college, university, trade school, technical school, or vocational school located in the United States. An Undergraduate Program consists of a 2-year associate's degree program or a 4-year bachelor's degree program; whereas, a Graduate Program consists of an advanced, graduate academic degree program of one (1) or more years duration (undertaken or to be undertaken by an applicant who has already obtained a bachelor's degree) including but not limited to, a master's degree program or a PhD or doctorate degree program.
Be diagnosed with ADHD and under the care of a licensed health care provider for ADHD at the time of submitting the application.
Provide a letter of reference from a teacher, high school counselor, or principal of present high school. This may be uploaded with applicant’s name.

Scholarship Award Details

Each Scholarship Recipient received a one-time, $2,000 tuition payment and, historically, one (1) year of ADHD coaching services by the Edge Foundation (the ADHD coaching service had an approximate value of $4,400). A total of fifty-five (55) Scholarships were awarded to recipients meeting the criteria.

Employee Scholarships

Of the fifty-five (55) Scholarships, five (5) Scholarships were awarded only to recipients who were employees of the Scholarship Sponsor, a qualified Immediate Family member, or qualified individual with whom the employee lives, who in each instance provided a valid Shire Employee Number.

National Scholarships

Of the remaining fifty (50) Scholarships, all of which were National Scholarships, ten (10) National Scholarships were awarded to recipients who were accepted to, or enrolled in, an eligible Graduate Program at a Qualifying Institution.

Application Process

The application process typically involved completing an online application, providing documentation of ADHD diagnosis, and submitting a personal essay.

All paper applications and supporting documentation had to be postmarked by a specific date. Online applications including the letter of recommendation had to be submitted by a specific date and time.

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Impact of the Scholarship

Neil Peterson, CEO and Founder of the Edge Foundation, said, “Shire’s scholarship program assists students with ADHD to pursue their dream of higher education."

Additional Scholarship Opportunities for Students with Disabilities

Besides the Michael Yasick ADHD Scholarship, several other scholarships support students with disabilities in their pursuit of higher education. Here are a few examples:

ScholarshipPoints: ScholarshipPoints has partnered with CampusReel to provide new users with an opportunity to win a $10,000 scholarship.
Bold.org Scholarships: Bold.org helps students from all backgrounds to take bold steps toward a brighter future. Many scholarship applications make you jump through hoops and require tons of essays and questionnaires.
Scholarships for Students with Autism: Several scholarships are available for students across the autism spectrum.
AG Bell Scholarships: AG Bell Scholarships are merit-based and award selection is highly competitive. Financial need has little impact on award selection; rather, the selection committee is looking for strong leaders with academic excellence and great character. This scholarship for students with a minimum 40dB bilateral hearing loss in both ears may be used to cover tuition, books and supplies.
Scholarships for Graduate Students with Disabilities: Graduate students with a disability who are or will be enrolled in communication sciences and disorders are eligible for scholarships.

Understanding ADHD

ADHD is one of the most common childhood neurobehavioral disorders. An estimated 11 percent (6.4 million) of US school-aged children have been diagnosed with ADHD in their lifetime, based on data from the National Survey of Children’s Health. Although many people tend to think of ADHD as a childhood problem, a significant percentage of children with ADHD may continue to meet the criteria for the disorder during their teenage years and adulthood.

Diagnosis and Treatment

The specific etiology of ADHD is unknown. The diagnosis is made utilizing criteria specified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, (DSM-5®) or International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10). Although there is no cure for ADHD, there are accepted treatments that have been demonstrated to improve symptoms. Standard treatments include educational approaches, psychological therapies which may include behavioral modification and/or medication.

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