Autism Related Scholarships

Find Financial Aid for College

Financial aid addresses the needs of wide-ranging college students, each with his or her own higher education dream.  General funding, from the Federal Government, opens doors for the masses, but there are additional resources available for specific student groups.  Minorities, women and certain other members of the student body garner individual attention from benefactors committed to increasing their ability to succeed in college.

College students facing unusual disadvantages are assisted by advocacy groups, educational foundations and government agencies working on their behalf.  Emotionally, physically and cognitively challenged students receive financial assistance aimed at producing positive higher education outcomes for members of afflicted groups.

Students impacted by autism are in-line for financial aid from associations and societies committed to curing and managing the disability.  Individual schools that specialize in autism education are particularly well-equipped to provide financial resources for students enrolled in these programs.  If Autism is part of your life, use these student-specific resources to supplement other forms of financial aid for college:

National Resources for Autism Education

The Autism Society of America awards scholarships each year for deserving students pursuing higher education. The organization’s Foundation acts as its philanthropic arm, providing scholarship for undergraduates and graduate student studying autism. Some scholarships are reserved for graduate and post-doctoral work in the research of autism, with an emphasis on prevention, cure and the amelioration of autism.

In addition to efforts from the National Society, the ASA works with local chapters to administer educational assistance targeting regional members and colleges.

Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation assists families by working to increase Autism awareness, and the group also provides grants for education.  Some funding is institutional, earmarked for schools to use in ways they see fit.  Some assistance helps college students directly, providing money for tuition and other education expenses – like computers.

Eden Autism Services is a valuable resource for Autism training, support and education.  The group recently awarded funding from the Charles H. Hoens, Jr., Scholars Program, worth $1000 annually to each successful applicant who has autism, and who has been accepted to attend a post-secondary college, vocational or trade school.

Local Sources

Check with local and state autism societies for scholarships and grants that are often less-publicized than national initiatives. For example, the Autism Society of New Hampshire promotes the Charlene Wood Memorial Scholarship Program. Two $500 scholarships are awarded annually, to undergraduate and graduate students seeking careers related to the field of autism.

The Lower Delaware Autism Foundation offers two scholarship programs that advance educational funding for academic programs relating to autism. One scholarship program is reserved for graduating high school seniors and enrolled college students who are seeking degrees that will affect educational outcomes for Sussex County residents who carry autism diagnoses. The other scholarship is earmarked for staff members of the Sussex Consortium, the money is to be applied for required continuing education in the field of autism.

Scholarships for specialized studies, like autism, often include awards for annual conferences and meetings held by autism advocacy groups and health care organizations.  Applicants compete for valuable access to industry events, which might otherwise be overlooked due to their cost. Event scholarships fund the cost of registration, lodging and sometimes meals.

Pennsylvania’s Department of Education Bureau of Special Education provides scholarships that allow students to attend the National Autism Conference. The scholarship recognizes students and recent graduates of Pennsylvania State University who are pursuing careers related to autism.

Additional Opportunities

Universities that conduct noted autism research and host related academic programs provide funding for travel and other expenses associated with earning college credentials.  Medical schools and universities offer similar scholarships for travel expenses to conferences and workshops that advance autism education.  Private sector health care companies also chip-in for autism causes.

The CVS Pharmacy Charitable Trust provides 5 annual scholarships worth $1,000 each, which allow qualified students with autism to attend colleges and trade schools of their choice. The Autism Society of America administers the program.

State-backed initiatives now sponsor scholarships for students with autism, and for those students pursuing university degrees related to the study of autism.   For example, The Ohio Autism Scholarship Program pays for  eligible students with autism to attend private post-secondary schools. Parents are also eligible to participate in the program.

The Autism Treatment Center of America, in Western Massachusetts, puts-forth need-based funding for applicants entering the Center’s tuition-based academic program.  Successful completion of the educational curriculum leads to employment at the center.