Are you considering continuing your education? Are you concerned that your disability will somehow cause you to be left behind? Well, consider the following statistic. In a 2015 study, The National Center for Education Statistics revealed that of the 20.2 million students enrolling in colleges that year, 2.42 million (or 11.1%) of the students had some kind of disability. These numbers indicate a growing trend in enrollment, as more and more schools develop the necessary resources to support disabled students. Education opens the door to everyone for a more satisfying and higher paying career, so you should not feel constrained in pursuit of your goals. As with everything associated with the disability, there are a myriad of factors to consider that able-bodied people do not have to worry about. The list of such topics is too large to address here, this blog will confine itself to discussing scholarship opportunities in general – and one scholarship in particular.
Getting a scholarship to help pay for school is an absolute must, especially since there are a significant number of scholarships available for students with a disability. Students with disabilities have an advantage when it comes to qualifying for education grants or scholarships. With the passing of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975, there has been a concerted effort to encourage disabled students to pursue their higher education at a traditional public or private institution. Many organizations, both public and private, sponsor grants for disabled students who would otherwise not have the financial resources to pursue their college education. There are foundations and associations throughout the country who are dedicated to funding grants and scholarships that address nearly every form of mental or physical disability. An Internet search for education grants dedicated to specific disabilities will return many potential leads, and this would be a great place to start your search.
Meanwhile, there is an immediate opportunity for a scholarship from the Communities Foundation of Texas. This scholarship is specifically for students who are paraplegic or quadriplegic. The name of this grant is the Kristoffer Robinson scholarship. It is awarded annually, and the assistance provided is for tuition, books, and necessary appliances related to the needs of the student to pursue an education at any accredited school in the state of Texas, whether public or private. It is intended for students at any educational level – elementary school, junior high, high school, college, technical school, graduate school etc. This award of up to $5000 per year, is renewable for up to four years. I have pasted a link below where you can apply for this scholarship. The application deadline is May 1, 2021. https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=cftexasscholarship
For more information, contact Katie Kuehl at kkuehl@cftexas.org.
Do you know of services available to help the spinal cord community? Please share them with us at info@unitedspinalusa.org.