Scholarship Guide

The American Autism Association understands how costly having a family member on the autism spectrum can be. There are a number of grants and scholarships offered around the country to children and adults on the spectrum. Listed below are various different types of funding your family may be applicable for. Additionally, a list of tips to help walk you through the application process. To find grants and scholarships available in your local area, contact us on our Autism Help Hotline.

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.

Since 2007, the OAR Scholarship Program has awarded a total of $1,717,500 to 558 highly deserving autistic students.

Note: All high school students with autism attending a post-secondary program in the 2024-2025 academic year may apply. In addition, all current college students with autism may apply as well who will be attending a post-secondary program in the 2024-2025 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 in the 2024-2025 academic year. Just make sure to send us a new original application and essay!

The winning applicant will receive a $500 dollar scholarship to be used to pay for their post-secondary education.

All scholarship applications need to be filled out with all of the requirements listed below by no later than Tuesday, April 30, 2024 at Midnight EST! After submitting your application, if you don’t receive an email within 72 hours about your application being received please message us via our KFM Making A Difference Facebook page here to let us know and we will see where the problem may be.

The Synchrony Tech Scholarship supports autistic adults interested in obtaining technology-related certifications to pursue or advance their careers. This includes but is not limited to, the following areas: cybersecurity, game/app development, web development, machine learning, data analytics, cloud computing, ethical hacking, and artificial intelligence. Programs must be completed through an accredited university or program. Third-party vendor certificates (i.e., Coursera, etc.) and 2 or 4-year degree programs will not be accepted.

The Schwallie Family Scholarship supports students attending two- or four-year undergraduate colleges. The majority of Schwallie applicants attend or plan to attend four-year undergraduate colleges. Schwallie applicants attending two-year undergraduate degree programs are often students who intend to transfer to a four-year undergraduate program in the future. Many applicants with a diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome choose to apply for this program.

Lisa Higgins Hussman Scholarship: Supports students attending two-year undergraduate colleges, 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. Click here to begin your Lisa Higgins Hussman Scholarship application.

The Synchrony Scholarship for Autistic Students of Color supports students attending any kind of post-secondary undergraduate institution: four-year colleges; two-year colleges; life skills or postsecondary programs; or vocational, technical, or trade schools. Applicants must belong to an underrepresented racial/ethnic minority group.

You do not need to complete this application all in one sitting. You may save the application as a draft until it is complete and then submit it when you are done. The application includes:

Basic demographic information
Responses to essays - written answers, audio recording, or slideshow
Proof of enrollment
A letter of recommendation from a non-relative
Note: You do not need to include proof of diagnosis with the application. OAR will only require proof of diagnosis from applicants identified as finalists. However, each applicant should review the Proof of Diagnosis Checklist on OAR’s website before applying to ensure that they will have the required documentation if chosen as a finalist. Proof of diagnosis is based on diagnostic criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), either DSM-IV or DSM-V.

John’s Crazy Socks is accepting applications for its Autism Can Do Scholarship. Co-sponsored by the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism and Rangam, the program offers three scholarship prizes:

First Place: $5,000
Second Place: $2,500
Third Place: $1,000
John Cronin, co-founder of John’s Crazy Socks and a young man with Down Syndrome, said, “At John’s Crazy Socks, we work every day to show what people with differing abilities can do. Sponsoring this scholarship demonstrates our support for people with autism.”

We invite you to submit an application if you meet the following criteria:

Diagnosed with ASD.
Enrolled in or accepted to an accredited school.
A U.S. citizen.
Either a recent high school graduate or a current undergraduate.

The Wells Fargo Scholarship Program for People with Disabilities is designed to help students pursue the education or training they need to succeed in their chosen career path. 

Applicants must have an identified disability.* Applicants must also be high school seniors, high school graduates or college undergraduates who plan to enroll in full- or half-time undergraduate study at an accredited United States two- or four-year college or university for the upcoming academic year.

The program will award renewable scholarships up to $2,500 for full-time students and renewable scholarships up to $1,250 for half-time students.

* Defined as someone who has, or considers themselves to have, a long-term or recurring condition that impacts one or more major life activity.

Google's education and scholarship programs aim to inspire and help students become future leaders in computing and technology by breaking down the barriers that prevent them from entering these fields. As part of our commitment, we’ve partnered with Lime Connect, a nonprofit organization that supports students with disabilities while they pursue education and promising careers, to help university students with disabilities work toward their academic goals in the field of computer science. Selected students will receive 10,000 USD (for those studying in the US) or 5,000 CAD (for those studying in Canada) for the 2023-2024 school year

Who can apply?
To be eligible to apply, applicants must:

Have, or consider themselves to have, a visible or invisible disability (see Lime Connect’s approach to disability here)
Be currently enrolled as a full-time student in a Bachelors program at an accredited university or college for the 2023-2024 academic year
Intend to be enrolled in or accepted as a full-time student in a Bachelors program at an accredited university in the United States or Canada for the 2024-2025 academic year
Demonstrate a strong academic record
Be pursuing a degree in computer science, computer engineering or a degree in a closely related technical field
Exemplify leadership and demonstrate passion for computer science and technology

Johnson Scholarship Foundation provides need-based scholarships to undergraduate, degree-seeking students with disabilities who are attending one of the 12 state universities. Students meeting the criteria can submit their initial scholarship application or apply directly to the university they seek to attend.

Quick Facts About Our Scholarship Program
Scholarships are awarded annually in the amount of $500 to $2,500
Historically, approximately 15-20% of applicants are awarded a scholarship.
The majority of Morelli Scholars participate in our free Mentorship Program during their freshman year of college. By learning to manage stress and work smarter - not harder, most participants have found the experience invaluable to their college success. Many mentees choose to become mentors after their first year. Go to our Mentorship page to learn more.
Awardees may apply the scholarship funds towards the following:
Tuition
Books
Testing
Tutoring
Assistive Technology
Other resources required to obtain accommodations

The Anne Ford Scholarship is a $10,000 scholarship ($2,500/year over four years) granted to a graduating high school senior who will enroll in a full-time bachelor’s degree program in the fall. Students must have a documented learning disability (LD). Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) who also have a learning disability, are encouraged to apply.

We are now accepting nominations for the 2023
Fred J. Epstein Youth Achievement Award, a
$1,000 award that recognizes the strengths and
accomplishments of young people with learning disabilities
and ADHD. It will be given to a student 19 or younger
who has demonstrated initiative, talent and determination
resulting in a notable accomplishment in any field—including
art, music, science, math, athletics or community service.

List of a variety of mental health centered scholarships