How to Leverage Medical Challenges to Fund Higher Education
For students with medical conditions, it can be difficult to cope with the demands of managing their illness while also handling the challenges of getting a degree. The good news is, these students may be able to alleviate some of their financial concerns thanks to the numerous scholarships available to those with various health conditions. This guide provides a look at some of these scholarships, as well as advice on how to win them.
AccreditedSchoolsOnline.org is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.
Top Online Programs
Explore programs of your interests with the high-quality standards and flexibility you need to take your career to the next level.
20 Scholarships for Students with Health Conditions
College students who have different medical conditions face unique challenges, but one thing they all have in common is that they are probably concerned about how to pay for their education. The following are scholarships that students with various medical issues can apply for to help them defray the cost of their degrees.
AAAI Scholarship
- Amount: Up to $999
- Sponsoring Organization: American Association on Health and Disability
- Category: General
- Application Deadline: Mid-November
This scholarship is available to undergraduate and graduate students who are living with a disability. In order to qualify, students must be enrolled in a degree program related to health and disability issues, such as public health, audiology, rehabilitation engineering, and disability policy programs.
AAHD Frederick J. Krause Scholarship on Health and Disability
- Amount: Up to $999
- Sponsoring Organization: American Association on Health and Disability
- Category: General
- Application Deadline: Mid-November
This scholarship is available to undergraduate and graduate students who are living with a disability. In order to qualify, students must be enrolled in a degree program related to health and disability issues, such as public health, audiology, rehabilitation engineering, and disability policy programs.
AbbVie Cystic Fibrosis Scholarship
- Amount: $3,000
- Sponsoring Organization: AbbVie Inc.
- Category: Cystic Fibrosis
- Application Deadline: Varies
Students with cystic fibrosis are eligible to receive this scholarship. Applicants must be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program.
Annual Traumatic Brain Injury Scholarship
- Amount: $1,000
- Sponsoring Organization: Law Office of David D. White
- Category: Traumatic Brain Injury
- Application Deadline: Early November
Students who have been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury can receive this award. The scholarship can be used for a degree program at a college, university, or trade school.
Baer Reintegration Scholarship
- Amount: Varies
- Sponsoring Organization: The Center for Reintegration
- Category: Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, Bipolar Disorder
- Application Deadline: Mid- January
The Center for Reintegration offers this scholarship to people who have been treated for schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar disorder in order to help them get an education and reintegrate back into the community. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and currently receiving treatment for their condition.
Cancer for College General Scholarship
- Amount: $5,000
- Sponsoring Organization: Cancer for College
- Category: Cancer
- Application Deadline: Late January
Cancer for College provides this award to students who are current cancer patients or cancer survivors. To apply, students must be enrolled in a program at a university or community college.
Cancer Survivor's Fund
- Amount: Varies
- Sponsoring Organization: Cancer Survivors' Fund
- Category: Cancer
- Application Deadline: Mid- March
This scholarship is available to cancer survivors who are currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program, or have been accepted to one. Applicants must include a 500- to 1,200-word essay describing the influence that cancer has had on their life and education.
Candice's Sickle Cell Disease Scholarship
- Amount: $1,500
- Sponsoring Organization: Candice's Sickle Cell Fund, Inc.
- Category: Sickle Cell Disease
- Application Deadline: Mid-April
Students in New Jersey, Connecticut, and New York who have sickle cell disease can receive this scholarship. Winners must attend a luncheon sponsored by Candice's Sickle Cell Fund in order to claim their award.
Carolyn Wilson Dialysis Patient Scholarship Program
- Amount: $5,000
- Sponsoring Organization: American Kidney Fund
- Category: Kidney Disease
- Application Deadline: Late July
The American Kidney Fund provides this award to support students who are receiving dialysis treatments or have undergone a kidney transplant. Applicants must be residents of Louisiana, Oklahoma, or Arkansas and demonstrate financial need to qualify. In addition, students are required to have a minimum 2.5 grade point average.
Diabetes Scholars
- Amount: Up to $5,000
- Sponsoring Organization: Diabetes Scholars Foundation
- Category: Diabetes
- Application Deadline: Mid-April
The Diabetes Scholars Foundation offers scholarships to students who have Type 1 diabetes. One award is available to high school seniors who are planning to enroll in an accredited trade school, college, university, or technical school. The other award provided by the organization is for sophomores and juniors in veterinary school.
Jack & Julie Narcolepsy Scholarship
- Amount: $1,000
- Sponsoring Organization: Project Sleep
- Category: Narcolepsy
- Application Deadline: Early April
Project Sleep established this national scholarship, which is the first of its kind, to provide awards for students with narcolepsy. To qualify, students must be graduating seniors who have been accepted to a four-year university.
Karman Healthcare Mobility Disability Scholarship
- Amount: $500
- Sponsoring Organization: Karman Healthcare
- Category: Mobility Disability
- Application Deadline: Early September
Students with mobility challenges that require the daily use of a mobility device are eligible to receive this scholarship. In order to qualify, applicants must be enrolled at an accredited college or university and have at least a 2.0 grade point average.
Kevin Child Scholarship
- Amount: $1,000
- Sponsoring Organization: National Hemophilia Foundation
- Category: Hemophilia
- Application Deadline: Late June
High school seniors with hemophilia A or B can win this award to attend a vocational school, college, or university. Applications must include letters of recommendation, a personal essay, and high school transcripts.
Mouse Hole Scholarship
- Amount: $1,000
- Sponsoring Organization: Blind Mice Mart
- Category:Visual Disabilities
- Application Deadline: Mid-May
This scholarship is designed for students who are living with a visual disability, as well as sighted students who have at least one parent with a visual disability. Applicants are required to write an essay that is 6- to 15-pages long detailing where they want to be in the future.
Scholarship for Survivors
- Amount: $3,000
- Sponsoring Organization: Patient Advocate Foundation
- Category: General
- Application Deadline: Late March
This scholarship is for students who have survived chronic or life-threatening illnesses. Eligibility requirements include enrollment in a graduate or undergraduate program and a minimum 3.0 grade point average. In addition, students must be under the age of 25.
Students With A Heart Foundation Scholarship
- Amount: $6,000
- Sponsoring Organization: Students with Heart Foundation
- Category: Heart Disease
- Application Deadline: Early October
Undergraduate and graduate students who suffer from a heart disease or deformity can receive this scholarship through the Students with Heart Foundation. In order to qualify, applicants must have at least a 3.0 grade point average. In addition, students must submit an essay of up to 2,000 words discussing the challenges they face because of their condition.
The Elaine Chapin Memorial Scholarship
- Amount: $6,000
- Sponsoring Organization: Students with Heart Foundation
- Category: Heart Disease
- Application Deadline: Early October
Undergraduate and graduate students who suffer from a heart disease or deformity can receive this scholarship through the Students with Heart Foundation. In order to qualify, applicants must have at least a 3.0 grade point average. In addition, students must submit an essay of up to 2,000 words discussing the challenges they face because of their condition.
The HIV League Scholarship
- Amount: Up to $7,000
- Sponsoring Organization: The HIV League
- Category: HIV
- Application Deadline: Late January
This is an award for students living with HIV who are enrolled in a degree program on a part-time or full-time basis. Applicants must have at least a 2.5 grade point average in an undergraduate or graduate degree program.
This Is Me Scholarship
- Amount: $500
- Sponsoring Organization: This Is Me Foundation
- Category: Alopecia
- Application Deadline: Late March
This scholarship is available for people who currently have alopecia, or was treated for it in the past. Applicants should submit a personal statement describing their experience with alopecia, as well as letters of recommendation and a resume.
Winterhoff Arthritis Scholarship
- Amount: $1,000
- Sponsoring Organization: Arthritis Foundation
- Category: Arthritis
- Application Deadline: Late March
Students with rheumatoid arthritis can receive this award. Eligibility requirements include having a minimum 2.5 grade point average and being currently enrolled in, or accepted to, a full-time degree program at a college or university. In addition, applicants must be actively involved in the Arthritis Foundation to qualify.
Expert Interview: Jason White
Jason White, author of The Medical Loophole: The Ultimate Guide to Medical-based Financial Aid, got first-hand experience with winning scholarships based on medical conditions after receiving funding for his undergraduate and law degrees because of his allergies and asthma. Since that time, he has helped dozens of students go to college for free, or at a reduced cost, based on a variety of medical conditions. He shares his experiences with us below.
How did you first learn that you could get scholarship money because you have asthma and allergies?
How much financial aid were you able to secure based on these medical conditions? What was the application process like?
How have you been able to help students with medical conditions win scholarships?
How can students with health conditions find sources of financial aid? Where should they start?
What can students do to bolster their application when trying to win scholarships based on their medical conditions?
Finding Support in School: Resources for Students with Health Conditions
Higher Education for Students with Disabilities: College students who are entitled to protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 can get information about the resources available to them from this guide.
How to Support Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder: This guide looks at the rights, protections, and accommodations that students with autism spectrum disorder are entitled to. In addition, there are resources for parents and advice for teachers who work with autistic students.
Support for Students with Traumatic Brain Injuries: This page includes information about types of traumatic brain injuries and how they impact students, as well as the resources they can take advantage of.
College Success for Students with Learning Disorders: Learning disorders, such as dyslexia, auditory processing disorder, and dyspraxia, can make it difficult for students to navigate their way through school. This page is designed to help people with these medical conditions find a school, get the accommodations they need, and win scholarships.