Scholarships for Students with Disabilities

There are many disability scholarships available worldwide, providing financial assistance for students with a physical, sensory or learning disability, or a mental health condition. Read on for a selection of scholarships for students with disabilities, categorized by country.

Disability scholarships in the US and Canada

• AAHD Frederick J. Krause Scholarship on Health and Disability – Scholarships for students with disabilities, who must be US citizens enrolled full-time as undergraduate or graduate students at any accredited US university. You should be pursuing a degree related to health and disability.
• Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell) College Scholarship Program – Merit-based scholarships for full-time students who are deaf or hard of hearing to study an undergraduate degree at a mainstream college or university. A limited number of scholarships are also available for students pursuing a graduate degree. Open to students from both within and outside the US.
• Baer Reintegration Scholarship – Scholarships for US citizens who suffer from schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or bipolar disorder and are currently receiving treatment for their illness. Eligible programs include high school equivalency programs, trade or vocational school programs, associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees and graduate degrees.
• DisabilityAwards.ca – A searchable portal of financial awards for disabled students from Canada.
• Flora Marie Jenkins Memorial Disability Scholarship - A scholarship for a disabled US student who has either been accepted or is currently enrolled in an undergraduate program in the US. To apply, you'll need to submit an essay explaining the impact your disability has had on your life.
• Google Lime Scholarship Program – Scholarships for disabled students from any country to study at any level at a Canadian or US university. You must be studying a computer science or computer engineering degree, or a degree in a closely related technical field.
• Hemophilia Federation of America (HFA) Educational Scholarships – Four categories of scholarship aimed at supporting students with blood disorders, including the Medical/Healthcare Services Educational Scholarship, aimed at those studying for a career in the medical field. (The 2018 application round has expired so you’ll need to wait for the 2019 round to open.)
• Microsoft DisAbility Scholarship – Scholarships for disabled high school seniors from any country to study an undergraduate program in a US university or technical college. You must have a passion for technology, show financial need and declare a major in engineering, computer science, computer information systems, law, business, or a related subject.
• National Center for Learning Disabilities Anne Ford and Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarships – Scholarships for two high school seniors from the US with documented learning disabilities and/or ADHD who are about to undertake post-secondary education.
• RBT Autism Scholarship - Scholarships designed to support students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in their educational pursuits, aim to ease the financial burden of higher education and empower these students to achieve their academic and career goals.
• Shire Canada ADHD Scholarship Program – Scholarships for legal residents of Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, or Québec who have ADHD, to study at any accredited higher education institution in one of the aforementioned provinces.
• Scholarships for students with Autism - Autism scholarships are available from Iconic Displays, MediaWorks, Learning Ally Scholarships and SunWise. To apply, you need to be a US citizen, and either be a recent high school graduate, current undergraduate, or be currently attending an Autism School. You also need to be either accepted by or currently enrolled in an accredited school.

Disability scholarships in Europe

To study anywhere in Europe:

• Google Europe Scholarship for Students with Disabilities – Scholarships for students who are either currently enrolled or intend to be enrolled in a European university as a full-time bachelor’s, master’s or PhD student. You must be studying computer science, computer engineering, informatics, or a closely related technical subject.
• International University of Logistics and Transport (IULT) Wrocław Special Scholarship for Disabled Students – IULT offers a special scholarship for students with any level of disability, provided they submit medical evidence from a qualified medical doctor. Application deadlines are October 20^th (fall semester) and March 20^th (spring semester).

United Kingdom

• Flying Scholarships for Disabled People (FSDP) – A charity which enables disabled people to learn how to fly. You can apply if you’re a UK resident, over 18, not in full-time education and allowed to drive by the DVLA.
• Goldsmiths Disabled Students’ Scholarships – Scholarships for UK nationals to study an undergraduate degree at Goldsmiths, University of London.
• Oxford-Wadham Graduate Scholarship for Disabled Students – Open to home, EU and overseas students, this scholarship provides 100 percent of the home/EU tuition fee rate and a grant for living costs to study a master’s degree (full-time or part-time) at Wadham College, University of Oxford. Applicants must demonstrate excellent academic ability, and there is no separate application process – you simply need to submit your application for graduate study by the appropriate January deadline for your course.
• Snowden Trust Grants – The UK charity Snowden Trust awards grants for students with physical or sensory disabilities, of any nationality, to study at a UK college or university.
• Student Health Association Bursaries – Bursaries are available for disabled students who are either not eligible or were rejected when they applied for the UK government’s Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) – only available to UK students living in England. You must have attempted to apply for the DSA and provide the result of your application. You must also have started your course before applying for a grant.
• University of Westminster Access Scholarship – A scholarship for a disabled student from the UK/EU who is enrolled in a full-time undergraduate degree at the university.
• British Council Scholarships – Several UK scholarships and financial support schemes for international students with disabilities and special educational needs, run by UK or international governments, charities or businesses, or by the UK universities, colleges, and schools. 
• Disability Rights UK Funding Higher Education for Disabled Students – Financial support for all undergraduate levels of study which covers tuition fees, living costs, and disability-related costs.
• UCL (University College London) Fees and Funding for Students with Disabilities – Financial support through the UCL Fund for International Disabled Students is offered to students from outside the UK who have a disability.
• Disability Grants Higher Education Grants for the Disabled – A list of funds, grants and scholarships for disabled students wishing to study in the UK.
• Prospects Disabled Students’ Allowances – For 2018/19, postgraduates eligible for DSA funding in England, Wales and Northern Ireland may apply for non-repayable, needs-assessed Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA), which is designed to help students with special needs reach their full academic potential.  

Disability scholarships in Australia and New Zealand

• Australian Disability and Indigenous Peoples' Education Fund – This scholarship is for Australian residents of any age with a disability and provides funding for both formal and informal education.
• Australian National University scholarships and bursaries – Australian National University offers undergraduate and graduate scholarships for disabled students from Australia.
• University of Melbourne – The university lists a range of scholarships and other forms of financial aid for disabled students, including some external scholarships. Some of these are only available for Australian residents.
• University of Auckland June Opie Fellowship – Scholarships for disabled citizens and permanent residents of Canada, Australia or New Zealand to study at postgraduate level at the university.
• University of Canterbury Disability Scholarships – The University of Canterbury in New Zealand offers three scholarships for students with disabilities; one for doctoral students, one for master’s students and the Educ8 Scholarship.
• University of Waikato Disability Scholarships – Various scholarships open for applications from both prospective and currently enrolled students at the University of Waikato (New Zealand).
• Young Australia League (YLA) Scholarships – Two new categories announced to support the education of eligible young Australians experiencing financial hardship, or hardships due to various social circumstances, disability, or distance.

All students applying to study an undergraduate degree at a university featured in the QS rankings are also now eligible to apply for the new QS Undergraduate Scholarship – part of the QS Scholarships scheme.

Want more content like this? Register for free site membership to get regular updates and your own personal content feed.