As it nears the end of the school year, everyone is preparing for graduation and taking new steps into a career or further education. We recently learned that there are many scholarships available for those who are autistic and pursuing college degrees. We are excited to share what we learned through our recent continuing education training and the links to these scholarships with our patients and their families.
Our speech therapists here at More Than Words recently attended the Annual Alabama Autism Conference. We were able to receive continuing education on Autism topics for ‘Supporting Transition to Adulthood,’ ‘Better Understanding Autism through the Lens of Motor Skills and Movement,’ ‘Empowering Transition Age Youth with Developmental Disabilities to Problem Solve Barriers to Participation,’ and ‘Sensory Processing: A Strengths-Based Approach to Intervention.’ This conference was insightful with new education as well as confirmation in our current therapy practices.
The special guest speaker was Kerry Magro, a nationally recognized author and speaker with Autism. He presented ‘Defining Autism: From Nonspeaking to Doctor in Education.’ This conference was insightful with new education as well as confirmation in our current therapy practices. During his presentation he mentioned that he runs a non-profit organization that provides scholarships to Autistic individuals for post-secondary education. This encouraged us to search and create a resource for Alabama scholarships and national scholarships for Autistic individuals.
Please visit the links for each scholarship for more information.
Autism Support of Alabama Scholarship
Autism Support of Alabama supports a Post-Secondary Scholarship Program, which awards a limited number of scholarships of up to $1,000 to individuals with a formal diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder who are enrolled in or have been accepted to a post-secondary program in a university/college, vocational/ technical school and/ or a day training or job training program.
KFM Making a Difference for Autism Scholarship
For all high school students with autism attending a post-secondary program. In addition, all current college students with autism may apply as well who will be attending a post-secondary program for the coming academic year. This scholarship has no geographic restrictions meaning it’s open to all upcoming and current college students with autism in the U.S and internationally! If you were selected in a previous year and/or weren’t selected, you may reapply as long as you are still attending college for the coming academic year.
OAR – Organization for Autism Research Scholarships
Scholarships for Autistic Students
The Organization for Autism Research’s scholarship program awards $3,000 scholarships to students across the autism spectrum. We are pleased to invite applications from persons with an autism diagnosis (DSM-IV or later criteria) pursuing full-time, post-secondary, education in any of the following: four-year undergraduate college or university, two-year undergraduate college, trade school, technical school, vocational school, or cooperative life skills program.
The Schwallie Family Scholarship
Supports students attending two- or four-year universities. Schwallie applicants typically pursue degrees at four-year universities. Students attending two-year universities with the intention of completing a four-year degree also typically apply to the Schwallie Scholarship. Many applicants with a diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome choose to apply for this program.
The Lisa Higgins Hussman Scholarship
Supports students attending two-year universities, life skills or postsecondary programs, or vocational, technical, or trade schools. Hussman applicants typically make up the pool of talented students who face daily challenges related to autism and attend programs that assist in skill-building, job readiness, and other transition-related skills.
Synchrony Scholarship for Autistic Students of Color
Supports students attending any type of undergraduate postsecondary education: two- or four-year colleges; life skills or postsecondary programs; or vocational, technical, or trade schools. Applicants must belong to an underrepresented racial/ethnic minority group. (Please note that autistic students of color are eligible to apply to any of the three programs for which they qualify, but they can only apply for one of them.)