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Though the price of obtaining a postsecondary education can be steep, both traditional and online degrees should be accessible to everyone. To offset costs, many seek alternative sources of funding, including grants, loans and scholarships. Students with disabilities who are entering college will find that there are selective scholarship opportunities for which they may apply that can help pay for school. Below, discover scholarships, both narrowly- and broadly-focused, that can help students with disabilities pay for their educations, as well as additional resources for obtaining funding.

Percentage of students with disabilities who continue to postsecondary study: Learning disability Visual impairment Speech disorder Autism Deaf and hard of hearing Orthopedic disability Distribution of students with disabilities of enrolled college students have limited mobility. have a chronic illness or other physical impairment. In 1990, of youth with disabilities were enrolled in a postsecondary program. By

2005, that number had

increased to New federal regulations in 2014 set a national goal for federal contractors to have of each type of job filled by a person with a disability.

Scholarships by Disability

Scholarships are a great way to help finance a college education because they are essentially free money students can use to pay tuition, purchase books and supplies, and help with room and board. Below, we’ve included lists of scholarships specific to some disabilities, as well as a section for general scholarships. For more information on making it through school without taking on loans, see our Debt-Free College guide and our list of affordable online colleges with payment plans.

Federal Aid, Assistance and Advocacy Resources

There are a number of resources that have been designed specifically for students with learning or physical disabilities. Generally, students with disabilities looking for federal aid must be enrolled in a comprehensive transition and postsecondary (CTP) program at a school that participates in a federal student aid program. These students must also meet the basic federal aid requirements and maintain satisfactory academic progress. CTP programs are not available in every state, so students should check the list of Federal Student Aid programs.

Students with disabilities fill out the same financial assistance forms as traditional students. However, they may need to supply proof of disability when applying for specialized aid. Federal student loans are quite common, and there are many accredited traditional and online colleges that accept FAFSA. To apply for a federal loan, whether you have a disability or not, you must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid form. Your application will require you to provide information about your financial status, dependency and more. By law, you cannot be discriminated against for a disability in the awarding of a federal loan. The added costs of attendance due to a disability, however, will be considered in determining the loan amount. For example, colleges are not required under the law to provide students with disabilities with certain services, such as attendants, or devices, such as readers for personal use. The costs for these services and devices may be covered by student loans or grants.

Acquiring a Disability Post-Graduation

If you obtain a disability after graduating college and still carry an outstanding student loan balance, you may be able to have your debt forgiven, depending largely on the specific lender. Federal student loans offer a total and permanent disability discharge procedure known as a TPD discharge. Specifically, a TPD discharge will relieve you from having to pay back a William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan, a Federal Family Education Loan, a Federal Perkins Loan, and/or a TEACH Grant service obligation. You must provide the Department of Education with information about your disability to have your debt discharged. Permanent disability can be proven in one of three ways:

Veterans can submit documentation from the VA showing that it has determined that the applicant is unemployable due to a service-related disability

If the applicant is receiving SSDI or SSI benefits, he or she can submit notice of the award of those benefits stating that the next scheduled benefit review is five to seven years from the date of the most recent determination

The applicant can submit certification from a physician of total and permanent disability

Details regarding a TPD discharge are available on the Federal Student Aid website. Additional information on TPD discharge and its application process can be found at www.disabilitydischarge.com.

The procedures for private student loan forgiveness vary by lender. Several lenders, including Sallie Mae, Discover and Wells Fargo, follow a discharge procedure similar to that of the federal government. If you are carrying a private student loan, check with your lender to see how you may qualify for discharge.

If you receive a disability after graduation, you will likely want to apply for Social Security disability benefits. There are two programs available: Social Security Disability Insurance, which pays benefits to those individuals who have worked long enough and paid Social Security taxes; and Supplemental Security Income, which pays based on financial need. You can find out more and apply for disability benefits by visiting the Social Security Disability Benefits website.