Scholarships

The Disability Resource Center aims to support students with disabilities who experience barriers to learning. We understand that financial barriers may impact the academic success of students. We offer scholarships to assist with access to disability documentation, assistive technology, and monetary support. Most of our scholarships require a completed Free Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA) which is used to determine your eligibility for financial aid. Contact the Office of Student Financial Affairs if you have any questions about UF student financial aid or would like information on how to complete a FAFSA please visit sfa.ufl.edu. 

The scholarship opportunities below are available to current students registered with the Disability Resource Center. Each scholarship has distinct qualifications and application criteria, please read below and contact the DRC Director, Gerry Altamirano, at GAltamirano@ufsa.ufl.edu if you have any questions regarding our scholarships.

The Johnson Scholarship, funded by the Johnson Scholarship Foundation, is a competitively awarded program, which is available to undergraduate students with disabilities enrolled in a State University System of Florida (SUS) institution. Students must meet the following requirements to be considered for scholarship selection:

  • Be a Florida resident for tuition purposes
  • Be seeking a first baccalaureate degree
  • Complete a Theodore R. and Vivian M. Johnson Scholarship Application
  • Meet academic requirements
  • Provide documentation of the nature and/or extent of a disability
  • Demonstrate financial need as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)/institutional need. Submit a FAFSA or Renewal FAFSA form by the required deadline at https://fafsa.edu.edu. Confirm that the Federal School Code for your university is designated so that the university has access to your results in assessing a student’s unmet financial need.

Applications are due by April 1, 2021

Scholarship recipients are recognized at the annual DRC Scholarship Ceremony in September. Johnson Scholarship recipients are expected to attend.

If selected, initial applicants must:

  • Complete and return an acceptance form or contact the appropriate institution representative (listed at the end of the application) by the date specified in your notification letter, as failure to return the acceptance form by the specified date will result in forfeiture of the award
  • Participate in a Johnson Scholarship orientation (first-time applicants)
  • Complete a minimum of nine (9) credit hours each semester
  • Adhere to the minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average requirement of this program
  • Continue to have unmet financial need.
  • Submit the following:
    • A completed application form by the deadline
    • A completed FAFSA by March 1, 2021, to Federal Student Aid and provision for university access to the evaluation completed by Federal Student Aid
    • A current official transcript (students applying as a first semester freshman should provide their high school transcript) showing a 2.0 grade point average
    • Documentation of disability(ies), not necessary if registered with the DRC
    • A personal statement (no more than one double-spaced page) about your achievements, activities, career goals, and the effects of your disability(ies)
    • Three letters of reference addressing your academic success and potential.

If selected, renewal applicants must:

  • Complete and return an acceptance form or contact the appropriate institution representative (listed at the end of the application) by the date specified on your notification letter. Failure to return the acceptance form by the specified date will result in forfeiture of the award
  • Complete a minimum of nine (9) credit hours each semester
  • Adhere to the minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average requirement of this program
  • Continue to have unmet financial need.

Note: If you receive a Johnson Scholarship, you must still apply for renewal consideration each academic year you desire the award. Johnson Scholarship recipients may qualify for the award for up to twelve (12) semesters of undergraduate study.

Application Procedures
If you apply for admission at more than one SUS institution, submit the completed Johnson Scholarship application materials to each university. The application should be sent to the contact person listed at the end of this form. The application, official transcript, disability documentation, personal statement, and letters of reference must be received by the institution(s) no later than April 1, 2021.

Notification
All applicants will be notified of their status as Johnson Scholarship recipients, alternate award candidates, or as students who were not selected. Notification letters will be mailed in July to the permanent address, which is specified on the application form.

Award Payment
After verification of enrollment, the university will disburse the award on a prorated basis each academic term to eligible Johnson Scholarship recipients. The dollar amount of the 2021-2022 awards is contingent upon the level of funding from the Johnson Scholarship Foundation and the Florida Legislature.

For Additional Information
Please contact the DRC for more information.
(352) 392-8565
accommodations@ufsa.ufl.edu

Apply Today! Renew your Application!
The Christopher M. Squiteri scholarship is for students who have a financial need and are seeking an evaluation to determine if they have a learning disability and/or ADHD. If the application is approved, the student will receive a psycho-educational, free of charge, from a community provider. The student can then bring the completed evaluation to the Disability Resource Center to determine if they are eligible for academic accommodations. Students can apply for the Disability Evaluation Squitieri Scholarship on our website.

Apply Today!
The fund is available to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students with disabilities in degree-granting programs who are seeking to purchase Assistive Technology devices. The fund was established to support disability-related equipment needs of students with disabilities. The fund is not an academic scholarship. The award amount will vary depending upon the need of those qualified applicant.

Please note that this scholarship is not intended to reimburse for already purchased items. If awarded, the DRC will purchase the item for the applicant.

Apply Today!
The Deb Richard Foundation Scholarship is a competitively awarded program which is available to students with physical disabilities since birth who enroll or are currently enrolled at the University of Florida. The amount of the scholarship award will vary according to established criteria. The scholarship award may be used to cover the cost of tuition, fees, room and board, books and auxiliary aids. Scholarships are renewable for a maximum of 10 semesters, provided the recipient makes satisfactory academic progress toward a degree and meets minimum performance requirements (a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale). Scholarship recipients must enroll for a minimum of nine credit hours each semester.

Applications must include the following:

  • A completed application form for the scholarship
  • A current transcript
  • A personal statement (two pages double-spaced) addressing your achievements, activities, career goals and the nature of your disability(ies)
  • Three letters of recommendation addressing your academic success and potential

Renewal applicants must:

Continue to adhere to minimum enrollment, progress and GPA requirements, plus:
Submit a completed application form.
If selected, recipients must:

Additional information about the Deb Richard Foundation Scholarship, including a history of the program, can be located at the University of Florida Foundation website.

Information about other scholarship opportunities offered by federal, state, university, and private agencies is provided below. Click on the category that you are interested in for a list of available scholarships.

DEB RICHARD FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION
The Christopher M. Squitieri Scholarship for Graduate Students is a yearly scholarship available to students who are registered with the Disability Resource Center and are considered a graduate student (enrolled in a Masters, Doctoral, Specialist, or Professional Program). This annual scholarship awards up to 5, $2,000 scholarships to applicants who meet the requirements at the beginning of each Fall semester. Students are eligible to reapply for this scholarship each year if they maintain the requirements for eligibility.

For Fall 2020, applications are open from July 31, 2020 through August 17, 2020. Scholarship recipients for the Fall 2020-Spring 2021 academic year will be notified by August 21, 2020.

To be considered for this scholarship, applicants must:

  • Be registered with the Disability Resource Center
  • Be a UF graduate student (Masters, Doctoral, Specialist, Professional Program)

Applicants must submit the following items:

  • A completed application form
  • An unofficial transcript from UF or your transcript from your previous institution
  • A 1,000-word essay answering: How would this scholarship assist you in overcoming any barriers to learning or help you reach your UF educational and experiential goals?

If you have any questions about the scholarship, please email Amanda Metzler at drc@ufsa.ufl.edu.

APPLY TODAY!