Dwarfism Scholarships
Big Scholarships for Little People
Dwarfism or Little People have access to a few college scholarship programs. Like other unique populations there are organizations that provide the environment in which the community may find information, but very few exclusive scholarships exist.
Dwarfism, as it is commonly called, is a condition related to any number of birth defects. There is current research being done on general growth hormone defects as well as more specialized research into defects like achondroplasia and Seckyl syndrome. In most cases dwarfism is rare, and any many forms have been mapped to specific gene anomalies. While there are instances of dwarfism being hereditary, it is also common to have it occur outside of heredity.
If you are shopping for a scholarship for dwarfism do not overlook scholarships for more general disabilities as well.
Scholarship Programs
The Little People of America organization is a large and well-funded resource for those with dwarfism or for family and friends associated with them. LPA provides a common forum for members who want to reach out and socialize, collaborate, or otherwise touch base with someone who shares the same challenges. The website also links to resources in the medical community of interest to those with the condition. LPA does not discriminate on any basis and is willing to dole out scholarships to individuals who do not have dwarfism in the event that no others apply. However, preference is given to members with the condition. Applicants are expected to "pay it forward" once they have finished school by servicing the "little people" community in such a way as to demonstrate thanks for the scholarship assistance. Funding varies.
The Billy Barty Foundation is one of the most well known organizations for dwarfism simply because of Billy’s celebrity status and visibility. But the organization promotes the reality of the condition outside the traditional cultural mockery. Barty was committed to demonstrating that "little people" are just as regular as anyone else with families and careers that keep their lives less salient. The Billy Barty Scholarships are awarded annually with funds raised through the foundation’s celebrity golf tournament. Applicants must be students enrolled in a college or university who are able to prove they have a "medical form of dwarfism."
