Scholarships

Financial aid is any grant, scholarship, part-time employment, or loan offered for the purpose of helping students pay for education-related expenses. Such aid is usually provided by federal, state, university, or private agencies. A “Free Application for Federal Aid” (FAFSA) must be completed to determine your eligibility for financial aid. Contact the Office of Student Financial Affairs if you have any questions or need additional information about student financial aid.

Several scholarship opportunities are available to current students registered with the Disability Resource Center. Each scholarship has distinct qualifications and application criteria which must be followed along with submission deadlines. Application information follows:

GARDNER MARK HARRISON SCHOLARSHIP

Click here for more information and to apply for Gardner Mark Harrison Scholarship

One award of $475.00 for a journalism student who has a documented learning disability and is registered with and receives services from the Disability Resource Center.

Applications are due by February 4, 2019.

ECCLESTON-CALLAHAN MEMORIAL TRUST SCHOLARSHIP

Generally $1000 per year, payable in one semester

Administered through the Office for Student Financial Affairs, this trust fund was established through the Community Council of Central Florida to provide scholarships for students with disabilities to help meet their costs of education. Nominee selection is made in conjunction with the Disability Resource Center in the Dean of Students Office. To be considered, a student must be age 21 or younger, have a minimum 3.0 cumulative UF GPA, have a physical or learning disability, and have established financial “need” based on results of the current Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Nominees must sign a release of information granting permission to release the nature of their disability, their academic records and financial aid status to the Office for Student Financial Affairs and to the Community Foundation of Central Florida.

If you are interested in this scholarship, contact your learning specialist in July of the current academic year.

Disability Evaluation Squitieri Scholarship

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.

CHRISTOPHER M. SQUITIERI SCHOLARSHIP FUND

The fund is available to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students with disabilities in degree-granting programs. 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 applicants, and there is a maximum award amount of $800. Students can apply for the Christopher M. Squitieri Scholarship on our website.

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.

THEODORE R. AND VIVIAN M. JOHNSON SCHOLARSHIP AND SCHOLAR PROGRAM

The Johnson Scholarship, established by the Theodore R. and Vivian M. Johnson Scholarship Foundation, Inc., is a competitively awarded program which is available to undergraduate students with disabilities with financial need who are residents for tuition purposes and who enroll or are currently enrolled in a State University System of Florida (SUS) institution. The amount of each scholarship award will vary according to established criteria with an annual award limit of $6,000. 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 12 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.

The Johnson Scholars Program
The purpose of the Johnson Scholars program is to provide student success and engagement opportunities to enhance career development and job readiness skills. Each scholar is required to attend at least two events offered each semester.

Applications are due by April 1, 2019.

Initial applicants must:

Provide a current official (no copies) transcript which documents a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 (on a 4.0 scale) on all credits
Provide documentation of disability(ies)
Gain admission as a degree-seeking undergraduate student into a SUS institution or be a currently enrolled degree-seeking undergraduate student at a SUS institution
Have demonstrated financial need as determined by the FAFSA
Be determined to be a Florida resident for tuition purposes
Submit the following:

A completed application form
A current transcript
Documentation of disability(ies)
A personal statement (no more than one double-spaced page) addressing your achievements, activities, career goals and the effects of your disability(ies)
Two letters of reference addressing your academic success and potential
Plus, mail or electronically submit a completed FAFSA form

Renewal applicants must:

Continue to have financial need and adhere to minimum enrollment, progress and GPA requirements, plus:
submit a completed application form
mail or electronically submit a completed FAFSA form
If selected, recipients must:

Complete and return an acceptance form by the date specified on the notification letter. Failure to return the acceptance form by the specified date will result in forfeiture of the award.
First-time recipients must participate in a Johnson Scholarship orientation.
Note: This program is contingent upon annual funding by the Theodore R. and Vivian M. Johnson Scholarship Foundation, Inc. and matching funding by the Florida Legislature.

Additional information about the Johnson Scholarship can be located at 2019-2020-SUSF-Application-pdf-writeable

AAHD FREDERICK J. KRAUSE SCHOLARSHIP

The American Association on Health and Disability (www.aahd.us) is accepting applications for the Frederick J. Krause Scholarship for undergraduate (junior/senior status) and graduate students with disabilities who are majoring in a field related to disability and health. Please feel free to distribute to your colleagues.

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM CRITERIA: The AAHD Frederick J. Krause Scholarship on Health and Disability is awarded annually to deserving students with a disability, pursuing undergraduate/graduate studies (must be at least enrolled as a Junior in college) in an accredited college or university. Preference is given to students majoring in a field related to disability and health, to include, but not limited to public health, health promotion, disability studies, disability research, rehabilitation engineering, audiology, disability policy, special education and majors that will impact quality of life of persons with disabilities.

Applicant must have a disability. Applicant must be enrolled FULL TIME as an undergraduate student (junior standing and above) or enrolled PART TIME or FULL TIME in a graduate school Preference is given to students majoring in a field related to disability and health (see Scholarship Program Criteria above) Applicant must be a US citizen or legal resident living in the US and enrolled in an accredited United States university Funds are limited to under $1,000

FUNDING INFORMATION: Funds are limited to under $1,000. The AAHD Board of Directors Scholarship Committee will evaluate each of the applicants and make a decision in December of each calendar year. The 2018-2019 Scholarship Award will be awarded January 2019. It is the discretion of the Scholarship Committee to determine how many scholarships will be awarded each year and the amount of each scholarship.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant must provide a Personal Statement (maximum 3 pages, double spaced), including brief personal history, educational/career goals, extra-curricular activities, and reasons why they should be selected by the AAHD Scholarship Committee. This statement must be written solely by the applicant
Applicant must provide two (2) Letters of Recommendation (One must be from a teacher or academic advisor). Letters may be sent by U. S. mail or by email attachment as pdf and should include the signature of the teacher or advisor, and the name of student should appear in the subject line of the email.
Applicant must provide an official copy of college transcript, which should be mailed to AAHD in a sealed envelope.
Applicant must agree to allow AAHD to use their name, picture and/or story in future scholarship materials.

Applications are due November 15, 2018.

APPLICATION FORM: PDF

Please attach your application, supporting materials, etc. and email to: scholarship@aahd.us. Place “2018-19 Scholarship” in subject line. (Please use MS Word for your personal statement and MS Word, if at all possible, and/or PDF for all other documents that are emailed as attachments). If this is not possible, please mail documents to:

Scholarship Committee
American Association on Health and Disability
110 N. Washington Street, Suite 328-J
Rockville, MD 20850

Only completed applications will be considered and must be postmarked and/or received by email no later than November 15, 2018.
AAHD is a national non-profit organization located in Rockville, MD dedicated to advancing health promotion and wellness initiatives for children and adults with disabilities.

THE RITA O'CONNELL SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Two scholarships given annually to undergraduate/graduate students who have, in spite of material and continuing physical or cognitive disability, not only achieved success as students, but also demonstrated those traits of character and personal qualities of perseverance and indomitable spirit, which are likely to inspire other students with disabilities to reach their academic and personal goals.

The Rita O’Connell Scholarship Fund is a scholarship offered through the University Women’s Club Scholarship program. Students must be registered with the Disability Resource Center. For additional information, call 352-392-8565.

Applications are due by 4:30pm on February 25, 2019.

Blake Rubin Scholarship

The Blake Rubin Scholarship was created to help future generations get the education needed to prepare for adulthood. Since the price of obtaining higher learning is always increasing, the goal of this scholarship is to help get one student one step closer to obtaining their desired degree.

Applicants will be required to submit a 500-word essay no later than January 31st, 2019, and the winner will be awarded a $1000 scholarship by February 28th, 2019.

Eligibility:

Current high school seniors that have been accepted into a university or college
Current university or college students (including undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students) who aren’t in their final year of study.

Guidelines:

Blake Rubin wants to hear your answer to the question, “Who is your role model in life and why?”, in 500 words or less.

Application Process:

When submitting your application for the Blake Rubin Scholarship, please be sure to fill out each field in the form below completely. There are no fees associated with this scholarship. However, you are granting Blake Rubin permission to use your information for promotional and marketing purposes if you are selected as the Blake Rubin Scholarship winner.

Submission Deadline:

The deadline for submissions is January 31, 2019. Applications submitted after this date may be considered for the following year’s scholarship.

Winner Selection:

Once the scholarship closes a committee will review all of the applicants and contact the winner. The winner has two weeks to respond before a winner up is selected. Once the winner has responded $1000 will be sent to their school’s financial aid department.

More information can be found at the link below.

http://blakerubinscholarship.com/

DEB RICHARD FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP

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 are due by May 15, 2019.

Initial applicants must:

Provide a current official (no copies) transcript which documents a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 (on a 4.0 scale) on all credits
Provide documentation of disability(ies)
Gain admission as a degree-seeking undergraduate student into the University of Florida or be a currently enrolled degree-seeking undergraduate student at the University of Florida
Have demonstrated financial need as determined by the FAFSA
Submit the following:

A completed application form for the scholarship
A current transcript
Documentation of disability(ies)
A personal statement (no more than one double-spaced page) addressing your achievements, activities, career goals and the nature of your disability(ies)
Three letters of recommendation addressing your academic success and potential
Plus, mail or electronically submit a completed FAFSA form.

Renewal applicants must:

Continue to adhere to minimum enrollment, progress and GPA requirements, plus:
Submit a completed application form
Mail or electronically submit a completed FAFSA form
If selected, recipients must:

Complete and return an acceptance form by the date specified on the notification letter. Failure to return the acceptance form by the specified date will result in forfeiture of the award.
First-time recipients must participate in a Deb Richard Foundation Scholarship orientation.
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.

2019-2020 Richard application-writeable

VISION OR HEARING IMPAIRMENTS

AAHD Frederick J. Krause Scholarship on Health and Disability
Closing date: November 15

Alexander Graham Bell Scholarship
Closing date: January 22

American Foundation for the Blind
Closing date: April 1

American Council for the Blind
Closing date: February 15

Cochlear Americas Scholarship
Closing date: October 1

Copeland Scholarship
Closing date: July 31

Council of Citizens with Low Vision International
Closing date: March 1

Florida Council of the Blind
Closing date: April 15

Foundation for Sight and Sound
Closing date: March 26

Kevin Stangl Memorial Scholarship
Closing date: March 31