Epilepsy Scholarships
Win Awards for Your Academic Achievements
Rather than being one disorder, epilepsy in a term used to describe several types of seizure disorders (almost two dozen). What we call seizures are changes in the functioning of the electrical system of the human brain. These changes are brief and temporary. During the seizures, an overload of electrical activity between brain cells occurs. About 1% of the population has epilepsy.
Certainly, living with epilepsy would make pursuing the goal of higher education more challenging than usual. To assist students coping with this disorder, financial assistance is available.
Pfizer Epilepsy Scholarship
Pfizer provides funds for 25 - $3,000.00 scholarships annually. Students at the high school (seniors) and college (freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior who has applied to graduate ) levels are eligible to apply. As a side note: Parke-Davis had a scholarship, but the company was merged with Pfizer.
Applicants must be under a doctor's care for epilepsy, have done well in school, and must show that they have participated in community and extracurricular activities.
Interested individuals are required to submit an official school transcript and two letters of recommendation with their application form.
Keppra Family Epilepsy Scholarship Program
In addition to scholarship funds for those living with epilepsy, monies are available under this program for family members or caregivers of epilepsy patients.
For epilepsy patients, 20 scholarships in the amount of $5,000.00 each are available; family members and caregivers of people with epilepsy can apply for one of 10 scholarships, also in the amount of $5,000.00 each.
To be eligible to apply for this funding, one must be a legal (permanent) resident of the US who has been accepted to or is currently enrolled in a US educational institution. (Those seeking funding for either undergraduate or graduate studies are eligible to apply.)
All applicants will be evaluated on the basis of an essay or an artistic presentation setting out why they should be chosen to receive funding, the impact epilepsy has had in his/her life, and how the funds will be of assistance.
In addition to the foregoing, an academic transcript, three letters of recommendation, and a photograph (non-returnable) of the applicant are required.
Your local chapter of the Epilepsy Foundation might have scholarship monies available. Here are some examples of funding available to residents of specific geographic areas:
Epilepsy Foundation Scholarship Fund (Illinois)
High school students living in and attending school in the Peoria area are eligible to apply for a $500.00 scholarship. Those planning on attending either a junior college or four-year program can apply. A letter of recommendation from an applicant's teacher and physician are required.
Past recipients are free to apply to renew their funding for future years.
Elam Baer and Janis Clay Educational Scholarship (Minnesota)
Ten $1,000.00 scholarships will be awarded annually to high school seniors or graduates already accepted into a post-secondary course of study. This scholarship is available to Minnesota and Eastern North Dakota residents who have been diagnosed with epilepsy or any seizure disorder.
The Epilepsy Foundation of Western/Central Pennsylvania
Offers 5 $1,000 scholarships for persons with epilepsy. To qualify for this award the applicant must have a diagnosis of epilepsy or seizure disorder, be a legal resident of Western/Central Pennsylvania and have just graduated from high school and already accepted to a college/university and able to attend full-time in the coming year. For more details and to download an application, visit the website at www.efwp.org.
The Epilepsy Foundation of Idaho
Gregory W. Gile Memorial Scholarship honors the memory of a young man who lost his life to epilepsy. The scholarship is for a high school or college student with epilepsy. The amount of the award is $1,000 and financial need will be considered but is not the only determining factor. Strong career goals, the strength of applicant's recommendations and challenges brought on by epilepsy and overcome are important selection criteria. Preference will be given to students planning to attend an Idaho college/university.
Mark Music Memorial Scholarship, another scholarship administered through the Epilepsy Foundation of Idaho honors an extraordinary man who graduated college despite extreme epileptic challenges. This $500 scholarship is offered to a high school graduate or college student who has epilepsy. The selection criteria are the same as for the above scholarship. Applicant must be a US citizen or permanent resident and have been a resident of Idaho for at least one year. The application asks for several documents and is quite extensive. You can download the application and physician statement by logging on here. The instructions do ask that you use the physician statement included on the website.
Check to see if there is a chapter of the Epilepsy Foundation in your area. If there is, there may be scholarship opportunities in your area through the Foundation.
In addition to the above scholarship offers, persons with epilepsy may be eligible for several scholarships set aside for persons with disabilities. Apply for as many scholarships as you can because even though there are thousands of them, competition is stiff in every area. Above all, follow the instructions to the letter because if you leave something out that was requested, your application won't even be considered.
