Scholarships for the Deaf/Mute
Don't Let Hearing Impairment Disable Your College Education
Deaf students face enough obstacles while trying to pursue an education in a hearing-focused world. How to pay for college shouldn't be one of them. With this in mind, numerous schools, foundations, and organizations have created scholarships with hearing impaired students in mind.
Restrictions on Scholarships for the Deaf
Students should read scholarship requirements carefully in regards to their definition of deafness or hearing loss. Some scholarships require students to have been deaf since birth while others classify applicants based on the total amount of hearing loss. Specific scholarship requirements also favor students who communicate through speech, students who communicate through sign language, or students who have been mainstreamed.
National Scholarships for Deaf Students
The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing provides multiple scholarships for students with hearing impairments. Some of the scholarships are highly specific. Applicants only need to submit a single scholarship form to be considered for all Alexander Graham Bell Association scholarships:
- Elsie M. Bell Grosvenor Scholarship awards $2,000 to a student attending a university in the Washington, D.C. area. Two $1,000 scholarships are only offered to student members of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Section of the association. Others are open to most any deaf student.
- The Lucille B. Abt Scholarship offers $5,000 to applicants who communicate through speech and lip reading.
- The Volta Scholarship Fund awards $2,000 each year to an oral deaf student.
The National Fraternal Society of the Deaf awards $1,000 scholarships to current and prospective college students. Applicants must be members of the organization for one year prior to applying for a scholarship, and they may win the scholarship twice.
Cochlear, makers of the Nucleus cochlear implant, provide scholarships to recipients of their products. High school seniors, adult students returning to school, and current college students from around the world may apply. The scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, leadership, and a commitment to humanity.
The Ear Foundation offers the Minnie Pearl Scholarship for mainstreamed high school seniors with severe to profound hearing loss who have earned at least a 3.0 GPA. The scholarship is worth up to $2,500, and it may be renewed for each year of undergraduate study as long as the recipient maintains a 3.0 GPA. Students earning a 3.5 GPA can receive a $500 bonus.
Sertoma, a community service organization dedicated to helping those with speech, language, and hearing disorders, offers a $1,000 scholarship for deaf undergraduate students. Applicants may be high school seniors or current students, and they must have at least a 3.2 GPA to be eligible for the award.
The Travelers Protective Association of America Scholarship Trust for the Deaf and Near Deaf sets aside funds for devices, medical treatment, and educational aids for the deaf. While not specifically for college students, the funds can be used for services and equipment deaf students need to be successful in their post-secondary education.
Schools for the Deaf
The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) houses the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID). Through federal funding, all NTID students pay a lower tuition rate. Additional funds are available through NTID endowed scholarships and RIT merit scholarships.
Gallaudet University is the only university in the world dedicated to accommodating deaf students in every aspect of student life. Gallaudet participates in all federal student loan programs, and also offers endowed scholarships and grant-in-aid to graduate students. There is no need for students to submit a separate application; the financial aid office determines eligible recipients. The Office for Students with Disabilities administers the Newcombe Scholarship for deaf students who also face other disabilities. The President's Fellowship Program supports deaf Ph.D. students in the hopes of increasing the number of deaf faculty members in universities.
Other Sources of Scholarships
Students who are deaf may also be eligible for more general scholarships for students with disabilities.
Deaf students pursuing a career related to their disability, like special education or interpreting, should also seek out scholarships in those fields that are not necessarily set aside for students with hearing impairments.
