The fully accessible guide to paying for college for students with disabilities
Key takeaways
- There are multiple types of financial aid available to students with disabilities, including grants, scholarships, loans and work-study programs.
- Start by applying for federal student aid so you know how much you qualify for. Federal aid is given on a first-come first-serve basis, so applying promptly is important.
- Next, explore private scholarship opportunities, and pay attention to eligibility factors as there may be different opportunities depending on your disability type.
Paying for college is a complicated process that raises many questions for any aspiring student. For students with a disability, those questions are even more complicated. The good news is that a disability need not bar you from a college education. There are plenty of resources for those who need help applying and paying for it.
This guide, designed to work with assistive technology, can help you find these resources. Explore both federal and private financial aid options to maximize your aid. Aspiring students with disabilities can also use our table of contents to find the best scholarships for them.
Types of financial aid for students with disabilities
There are four different types of federal student aid: grants, scholarships, loans and work-study programs.
- Grants: Grants are funds for education that do not have to be repaid. They are often offered by the state or federal government.
- Scholarships: Scholarships are like grants in that they do not have to be repaid. But scholarships are usually offered by private institutions or schools. As a result, requirements are based on a wider variety of factors.
- Loans: Student loans are money students borrow to attend college, which can be offered by both the government and private lenders. Unlike scholarships and grants, loans must be repaid with interest.
- Work-study: Work-study programs allow students to earn money for tuition or academic-related expenses. Jobs can vary, but they are often located on campus and can be federally funded.
Federal aid for students with disabilities
Types of federal aid
Federal aid often includes grants, loans and work-study programs. Specific types of federal student aid include the following.
Federal grants
Federal grants come from the U.S. Department of Education and are offered to qualifying students based on occupation or financial need. The most common grants are:
- Pell Grants: The maximum amount for these grants varies from year to year. For 2025-26, the maximum award is $7,395. Students can receive Pell Grants for up to 12 semesters — roughly six years of college. Pell Grants are usually awarded to undergraduates who have not yet earned a bachelor’s or a professional degree.
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG): Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG): While the federal government is responsible for distributing Pell Grants, participating schools administer FSEOG. These grants are awarded to students who have an exceptional financial need. Those who are already eligible for the Pell Grant have higher priority. FSEOG are usually awarded to undergraduates who have not yet earned a bachelor’s or a professional degree. You may receive between $100 to $4,000 a year.
- Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant: Students interested in teaching can earn up to $4,000 per year with a TEACH grant. Recipients must sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve, promising to become teachers and to serve in a low-income school following graduation. In addition, recipients must pursue specific kinds of courses to maintain the grant.
- Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant: Students who had a parent or guardian die in Iraq or Afghanistan as a result of military service after the 9/11 attacks are eligible for this grant. Recipients must have been 24 or younger or enrolled in college at least part time at the time of the parent’s or guardian’s death. In addition, recipients must not be eligible for Pell Grants on the basis of their expected family contribution but must meet all other Pell Grant requirements. For 2025-26, the maximum award is $7,395.
Loans
There are three types of federal Direct Loans you can apply for: Direct Subsidized Loans, Direct Unsubsidized Loans and Direct PLUS Loans.
- Direct Subsidized Loans: Students with financial need qualify for these loans. The U.S. Department of Education will pay the interest on your loan while you are enrolled in school at least half time, in your grace period (the first six months after you leave school) or in deferment (postponing loan payments). Loan amounts vary depending on grade level. Interest rates also vary; for the 2024-25 school year, they are set at 6.53 percent.
- Direct Unsubsidized Loans: Students don’t need to have a designated financial need to qualify for these loans. With a Direct Unsubsidized Loan, interest accrues for the entirety of the loan and can be capitalized and added to the principal of the loan while recipients are still in school or during periods of deferment. Loan amounts vary by grade level. For the 2024-25 school year, interest rates are set at 6.53 percent for undergraduates and 8.08 percent for graduates.
- Direct PLUS Loans: Graduate/professional students and parents borrowing on behalf of a dependent undergraduate student can apply for Direct PLUS Loans. Grad PLUS and parent PLUS loans can cover the total cost of attendance, excluding any other forms of financial aid. For the 2024-25 school year, interest rates are set at 9.08 percent.
Work-study
Students who qualify for federal work-study can earn money by working eligible part-time jobs on or off campus. The program often encourages community service work or employment related to the student’s course of study. This aid is often granted on a first-come, first-served basis. Students in the program are paid at least minimum wage and may use their wages for academic-related expenses.
Getting federal aid: filling out the FAFSA
Start your financial aid search by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The government uses the form to determine whether applicants qualify for grants, loans and work-study programs, and many colleges also require it for their need-based or merit-based financial aid.
Since some aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, it’s important to complete the application as soon as you’re able. However, you can fill it out up to the deadline, which falls on June 30 of the school year for which you need funds. Click here to learn more about the FAFSA at the U.S. Department of Education Office of Federal Student Aid website.
Getting federal aid – CTP programs and ABLE accounts
Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary (CTP) programs are higher-education programs designed for students with intellectual disabilities who want to pursue a degree or certificate in order to prepare for gainful employment.
Students with intellectual disabilities who enroll in CTP programs may be eligible for certain types of student aid, including Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants and federal work-study programs. However, not every school offers a CTP program, nor is there a CTP program in every state. For a complete list of CTP schools approved by the U.S. Department of Education, click here.
ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) Accounts are tax-advantaged accounts designed to help the families of students with disabilities save for education. Individuals with an onset of blindness or disability before the age of 26 can qualify for an ABLE account, and — depending on state of residence — contributions for 2024 can max out at $18,000 a year.
Although contributions are not tax deductible, investment earnings are untaxed as long as funds taken from the account are used for qualified disability expenses. Qualified expenses include education costs, room and board and transportation, as well as assistive technology and medical treatment.
Getting private aid
Federal aid isn’t all that’s out there to help you fund your education. You can win private scholarships — money you don’t have to repay — by putting forth a bit of effort. You can also apply for a private student loan with a bank, credit union or private lender.
Your high school or college is a good place to begin your scholarship search. Contact your financial aid office or ask your counselor for guidance on finding and applying for scholarships specifically for students with disabilities.
Scholarship search engines allow you to take matters into your own hands, since you can search for awards based on your qualifications. You can search based on interests, extracurricular activities and more.
Scholarships for students with disabilities
Scholarships for general disabilities
The following scholarships do not require aspiring students to have specific disabilities to be eligible.
The American Association on Health and Disability (AAHD) Frederick J. Krause Scholarship on Health and Disability
The AAHD Frederick J. Krause Scholarship on Health and Disability is awarded to students with a qualifying disability who are currently pursuing an undergraduate or graduate school degree. Preference is given to students pursuing a degree related to health and disability. Fields of study may include:
- Public health.
- Health promotion.
- Disability studies.
- Disability research.
- Rehabilitation engineering.
- Audiology.
- Disability policy.
- Special education.
- Other majors that affect the quality of life of persons with disabilities.
Applicants must provide a personal statement and two letters of recommendation. Applicants must be at least a sophomore and enrolled full time in an undergraduate program or full or part time in a graduate program.
Click here to visit the official website and apply for this scholarship.
- Amount: Up to $1,000
- Deadline: March 3, 2025
Mays Mission for the Handicapped Scholarship Program
Mays Mission for the Handicapped is a nonprofit organization that offers vocational training in a variety of fields for individuals with disabilities. Mays Mission also offers scholarships to students with physical and/or mental disabilities. Applicants must score 20 or higher on the ACT or 970 or higher on the SAT.
Applicants must be enrolled in a four-year undergraduate study program and provide proof of enrollment. Once they have been accepted, recipients must maintain a 3.0 GPA. Recipients must also submit grades each semester and write a monthly “update letter” to the mission.
Click here to visit the official website and apply for this scholarship.
- Amount: Varies
- Deadline: June 30, 2025
Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. Disability Scholarship Program
Buckfire Law Firm offers a scholarship for college or university students of any age, with any type of disability. That can include, among others, physical disabilities, mental or psychiatric conditions and learning disabilities.
Applicants must have completed at least one semester of classes at an accredited college or university. Applicants must also have a disability diagnosis from “any person qualified to make a diagnosis.”
Applicants must include documentation of their disability and a transcript of their most recent semester in their application. Applicants must also submit a one-page typed essay describing how they overcame adversity caused by their disability and what they learned from their experience.
Click here to visit the official website and apply for this scholarship.
- Amount: $1,000
- Deadline: Oct. 1, 2025
Auger & Auger Disabled Scholar Award
Auger & Auger Attorneys at Law offer two $1,000 awards per year to students with disabilities pursuing an undergraduate degree. To qualify, applicants must be either a current graduating high school senior accepted to an accredited school or an undergraduate student at an accredited institution. Applicants must also have a minimum 2.8 GPA.
Applicants must write a 500- to 1,000-word essay on one of the following topics:
- Overcoming their disability to do something extraordinary.
- How lessons learned from living with their disability have helped them prepare for college and postgraduate plans.
Applicants must also provide an unofficial copy of their transcript.
Click here to visit the official website and apply for this scholarship.
- Amount: $1,000
- Deadline: Fall semester: July 31; spring semester: Nov. 30
Wells Fargo Scholarship Program for People With Disabilities
The Wells Fargo Scholarship Program for People with Disabilities is designed to help people with disabilities obtain the education or training necessary to succeed in the career path of their choice.
To qualify, applicants must have an identified disability and a minimum 3.0 GPA. Applicants must be a high school senior or graduate who plans to enroll, or is already enrolled, at an accredited two-year or four-year college or university. Applicants can pursue full-time or half-time study. Scholarships are also renewable.
Wells Fargo will accept online applications through Feb. 18 or until 700 applications have been submitted. If the program is currently closed, you can choose to be notified when it reopens.
Click here to visit the official website and apply for this scholarship.
- Amount: $2,500 for full-time study and $1,250 for half-time study
- Deadline: 2026 program details to come
Scholarships for hearing impairments
The following scholarships are available to students with hearing impairments or to students who have family members with hearing impairments. Hearing impairments can include deafness, bilateral hearing loss or mixed forms of hearing loss.
Travelers Protective Association Scholarship Trust for the Hearing Impaired
The Travelers Protective Association (TPA) provides financial aid to people with deafness or hearing impairment. Recipients will benefit from specialized treatment or education and should be unable to provide the funds for themselves.
Candidates must submit an online application detailing the nature of their hearing deficiency, as well as any prior medical treatment and how they intend to use their funds. Applications must be submitted by adults or by the guardian of a minor and grant recipients are required to send receipts of purchases made with the grant that exceed $50.
Click here to visit the official website and apply for this scholarship.
- Amount: $100 to $1,000
- Deadline: Reviewed on a monthly basis
Millie Brother Scholarship for Hearing Children of Deaf Adults
The Millie Brother Scholarship is a yearly scholarship awarded to the hearing children of deaf adults pursuing undergraduate or graduate study. Students must submit a two-page essay describing how their experience with deaf parents has shaped their life, goals and career aspirations.
Applications must include an official high school or college transcript (if the applicant is currently enrolled), as well as two letters of recommendation from teachers.
Click here to visit the official website and apply for this scholarship.
- Amount: Award varies; average of two $3,000 scholarships given annually
- Deadline: Feb. 28, 2025
Cochlear scholarships
Cochlear scholarships are awarded to Cochlear Nucleus, Baha or Osia implant recipients who are undertaking university studies. Applicants must have one of those three implant types and maintain a 3.0 GPA. Applicants must be enrolled in (or planning to attend) an accredited college, university or technical school.
Winners are selected on the basis of:
- Academic achievement.
- Extracurricular activities and community involvement.
- Commitment to Cochlear ideals of leadership and humanity.
Click here to visit the official website and apply for this scholarship.
- Amount: $2,000 annually for up to four consecutive years
- Deadline: Sept. 30, 2025
Sertoma’s Scholarship for the Hard of Hearing or Deaf
Sertoma’s Scholarship for the Hard of Hearing or Deaf is available to students with clinically significant bilateral hearing loss who are pursuing a four-year bachelor’s degree. The scholarship is open to high school seniors as well as college students. Applicants must maintain a minimum 3.2 GPA.
Students must include two recommendation letters with their application. The application also requires descriptions of any volunteer, interscholastic or extracurricular activities, as well as a personal statement. Applicants must attach a recent audiogram (no older than two years) from a hearing health professional to qualify.
Click here to visit the official website and apply for this scholarship.
- Amount: $1,000
- Deadline: March 31, 2025
Scholarships for visual impairments
The following scholarships are available to students with visual impairments. Some scholarships on our list require that applicants be legally blind — defined as a medically diagnosed vision score of 20/200 or less in their better eye.
National Federation of the Blind Scholarships
The National Federation of the Blind annually offers blind college students the opportunity to win one of 30 merit-based, national-level scholarships.
Applicants must be legally blind in both eyes, U.S. residents and planning to pursue a full-time postsecondary course of study in the U.S. One scholarship may be given to an applicant employed full time while attending school part time. Winners are selected based on the merits of their academic excellence, community service and leadership.
Click here to visit the official website and apply for this scholarship.
- Amount: $8,000
- Deadline: March 31, 2025
Lighthouse Guild Scholarship Program
The Lighthouse Guild Scholarship Program aims to help outstanding and deserving legally blind students attend college and/or graduate school.
The Lighthouse Guild offers two scholarships. The College Bound Scholarship is a one-time-only scholarship designed for high school seniors who will be college freshmen in the upcoming school year. The Graduate School Scholarship offers one or more scholarships for students pursuing any postgraduate degree.
For both scholarships, applicants must submit proof of legal blindness and U.S. citizenship, documentation of academic achievement and three letters of recommendation. Applications also require two personal statements of 500 words or less on the candidate’s educational and personal goals and the influence of an outstanding teacher.
Click here to visit the official website and apply for this scholarship.
- Amount: Varies
- Deadline: March 31
Scholarships for learning disabilities
The following scholarships are available to students with learning disabilities, including dyslexia and processing disorders.
Gemm Learning Dyslexia Scholarship
This biannual scholarship is available to students with dyslexia and/or auditory processing disorder (APD) who will be attending an undergraduate program in the coming semester. Applicants must present proof of enrollment to qualify.
Applicants must also submit their story in the form of a 500- to 650-word essay on the topic “Living with Dyslexia” or “Living with Auditory Processing Disorder.” Essays should be educational and/or inspirational, while giving a unique insight into what life is like with a learning struggle.
Click here to visit the official website and apply for this scholarship.
- Amount: $1,000
- Deadline: Oct 31, 2025
Scholarships for autism
The following scholarships are available to applicants across the autism spectrum.
The Organization for Autism Research Scholarship Program
The Organization for Autism Research (OAR) offers three scholarships to students across the autism spectrum.
- The Schwallie Family Scholarship supports students attending two-year universities with the intention of completing a four-year degree.
- The Lisa Higgins Hussman Scholarship supports students attending two-year universities, life skills programs, postsecondary programs or vocational, technical or trade schools.
- The Synchrony Scholarship for Autistic Students of Color is offered to students who belong to an underrepresented racial/ethnic minority group and attend any type of postsecondary education.
To qualify, applicants need to be enrolled on a full-time basis or working toward certification or accreditation in a particular field. Applicants must have an established autism diagnosis.
Scholarship applications include basic information, date of diagnosis, proof of enrollment and three short essay questions. In some cases, the Lisa Higgins Hussman Scholarship application requires two letters of recommendation, one from a nonrelative and the other from a parent or guardian, and the Synchrony Scholarship requires a written letter of recommendation from a nonrelative.
Click here to visit the official website and apply for this scholarship.
- Amount: $3,000
- Deadline: April 21, 2025
Scholarships for health conditions
The following scholarships are available to applicants either recovering from or currently fighting a life-threatening accident or illness.
Patient Advocate Foundation’s Scholarship for Survivors
The Patient Advocate Foundation provides scholarships to individuals under the age of 25 who have been diagnosed or treated for cancer or a chronic illness within the past five years.
To qualify, applicants must be pursuing an associate degree or higher and complete an essay of no more than 1,500 words on how their diagnosis has impacted their lives and future goals.
Applications must also include two letters of recommendation from nonrelated persons, written documentation from a treating physician and a copy of the first two pages of the tax return for the individual claiming the student as a dependent.
Click here to visit the official website and apply for this scholarship.
- Amount: $3,000 annually for up to four consecutive years
- Deadline: March 7, 2025
Baer Reintegration Scholarship Program
The Baer Foundation and the Center for Reintegration partner to offer a scholarship covering all or part of an education, ranging from GED to Ph.D., for persons currently receiving medical treatment for schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or bipolar disorder.
Applicants must complete an application package that includes a form, an essay and three recommendations. One must be from their prescribing authority, while the other two are general applications (but cannot be from family members).
Click here to visit the official website and apply for this scholarship.
- Amount: Varies
- Deadline: January 31, 2025
The Hydrocephalus Association’s Scholarship Program
The Hydrocephalus Association’s Scholarship Program provides financial assistance to capable and promising young adults living with hydrocephalus.
The Hydrocephalus Association offers a range of scholarships to young adults. Though each scholarship varies in requirements, they all share the same basic criteria and funding amount.
Applicants must have hydrocephalus and be 17 years of age or older, and scholarship funds must be used for educational purposes. Applicants must submit a complete scholarship application and one letter of recommendation from a nonrelative.
Scholarships are nonrenewable, but applicants can reapply if they were not selected in a previous year.
Click here to visit the official website and apply for this scholarship.
- Amount: $1,000
- Deadline: April 15, 2025
Know your rights as a student with a disability
Be sure to keep up to date about your rights as a student with a disability. The following represent key government legislation related to the education of students with disabilities, specifically relating to colleges:
- Click here to visit the website for the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).
- Click here to visit the official website for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
Note: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Individual Education Program do not apply beyond secondary education.
FAQs for students with disabilities
About this guide
The Fully Accessible Guide to Paying for College for Students with Disabilities was created by the college and career experts at Bankrate.com. The purpose of this guide is to provide students with disabilities with comprehensive information about how to pay for college, as well as scholarships and other information that is specifically helpful for students with disabilities.
Our assistive guide was developed to accommodate the needs of students with disabilities. The content was created for complete interpretation by all readers, including those with visual, hearing and other physical disabilities. It was built to work with voice assist and other assistive technologies.
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