Scholarships for Cleft Palates
Cleft Palate can be Overcome and College Can Be Yours
A cleft palate is a condition characterized by a separation in the lip or palate. It's usually caused by a problem with facial development in utero. Typically, one cleft palate occurs in every 600-800 births.
Surgical procedures can be used to remedy the cleft and render the patient virtually unscarred if operations are performed at an early age. However, if the cleft palate is not addressed soon after birth, there's a greater chance of speech problems, hearing difficulties, and psychological challenges, primarily due to the social stigma of looking "different" than one's peers.
Some famous persons who were born with a cleft palate include popular news spokes person Tom Brokaw; politician and activist Jesse Jackson; and actors Cheech Marin, Jason Robards, and Stacey Keach.
Scholarships
There are three state-specific scholarships available to students born with cleft palates or other craniofacial anomalies.
The Florida Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association, Inc., offers an annual scholarship to one state high school senior who has had a cleft lip or palate or other craniofacial anomaly and who has already been admitted to a university or college. The award is $1,000 and you'll need to submit a 125-word essay in addition to filling out the application.
If you live near New York City, you may be eligible for the Cleft Palate Scholarship offered by the Cleft Palate Parents' Council of Wantagh, NY. The amount of this scholarship varies according to the committee's current funding capabilities. It is offered to any of the region's seniors who were born with a craniofacial anomaly.
For high school or current college student Virginians, the Virginia Smiles College Scholarship Program awards $1,000 to one deserving individual who was born with a cleft lip or cleft palate. The recipient of these monies is required to attend the annual Virginia Smiles Family Picnic (usually held in mid-summer) and give a 10-minute talk talking about his or her childhood and achievements in order to receive the funding.
For More Information on Cleft Palates
Operation Smile, an organization with headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, has been working toward the goal of treating children and adults with cleft palate conditions around the globe since 1982. Currently, over 98,000 persons have been medically treated through this group's tireless efforts and the heartwarming volunteerism of many physicians and medical professionals. Each operation costs about $240.
