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College Grants For The Disabled

Because individuals with handicaps and disabilities are so often at a disadvantage for higher education, the federal government and several private and corporate sources provide grants, scholarships, and loans to such people. If you have a mental or physical disability or even suffer from certain illnesses, you may be eligible to receive grants toward college.

IDEA, or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which was signed into law in 1975, provided some 40 million Americans with more mobility and accessibility in such institutions and has recently been amended to include other benefits. In conjunction with this act, organizations such as the National Federation for the Blind and the National Association of the Deaf award scholarships and grants through funding to this government entity.

Now that IDEA has made segregation of disabled students illegal, several colleges and universities are doing their part as well to help fund grants for their college education. George Washington University has an entire brochure detailing their financial aid for students with disabilities. Gallaudet University is a school especially for the deaf and hearing impaired that offers substantial financial aid. George Mason University has a Disability Resouce Center through which scholarships and grants can be researched, applied for, and obtained. Western Michigan University even offers fellowships to disabled students who choose to pursue a degree in the field of rehabilitation science.

List of College Grants For The Disabled

Paying for school is not easy, but we are here to help. OEDb's student finance section will help you find the money you need to pay your tuition and other college expenses. We cover scholarships, college grants, and student loans. Scholarships and grants are both forms of "free money", meaning they don't need to be paid back. Scholarships are typically awarded by businesses or individuals, with the money being earmarked specifically for tuition. They can be awarded based on a student's location or by religious affiliation, such as Catholicism or Islam. Grants are typically awarded by governments or non-profit organizations and the money often can be applied to several different expenses a student may incur, not solely tuition. They can be awarded based on location or ethnicity, for instance African American or Hispanic. Loans are not considered "free money", because unlike scholarships and grants, they do need to be paid back after graduation. Common federal loans include Perkins and Stafford. Loans are also available by location.