Grants and scholarships for disabled individuals offer an important source of support for recipients of long-term disability insurance (LTD) benefits who need to acquire additional educational training in order to shift career paths to find a job in which they can thrive. Educational funding for LTD recipients can come from a variety of institutional, federal, and private sources, and not all forms of financial aid for students on long-term disability are based on the disabilities themselves. The range and complexity of educational grants and scholarships for long-term disability recipients can sometimes be overwhelming for individuals preparing to navigate the application process, but these same factors also offer reason for encouragement, as they increase the chances that you may find one or more sources of financial aid to fit your unique situation.
Types of Educational Funding for LTD Recipients
Student loans are probably the most common form of financial aid for students on long-term disability, just as for their peers. There are also numerous grants and scholarships for disabled individuals, as well as those that are available without respect to personal health status. The form that financial aid takes affects the criteria for qualification, whether the aid must be repaid, and in some instances how the aid may be used. Developing a strong baseline understanding of the differences between the various types of educational funding for LTD recipients and how each type of financial aid functions can set you up for an effective funding search and an application process that makes the most of your time and energy.
Grants
A grant is a type of financial assistance that is usually awarded based on the applicant’s need, as defined by the institution administering the grant. Grants are notable for three main reasons:
- A grant does not normally need to be paid, as long as the recipient complies with all the conditions of the grant award.
- Grants often impose fewer restrictions on how funds may be used than other award types.
- The grant application process is distinctive compared to the applications for other forms of financial aid for students on long-term disability, as the typical grant application requires a written proposal that explains how the applicant and his or her goals align with the purpose for which the grant was originally created, and explain how the applicant will use the grant funds to further those goals if their application is successful.
The first and second characteristics tend to make educational grants a highly sought-after type of financial assistance. This same desirability can also cause the application process for some grants to be highly competitive, so careful preparation and attention to detail are essential elements of an effective grant application process.
Financial Aid for Students on Long-Term Disability: Federal Pell Grants and the FAFSA Form
Probably the most famous education-specific grant in the United States is the Federal Pell Grant. This funding source is unusual among grants for using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as its essential “filter” for determining eligibility. For students who do meet the federal qualifying criteria, eligibility screening by FAFSA represents a significantly lower administrative burden than for most other educational grants and scholarships long-term disability recipients may qualify to receive.
Eligibility is determined separately for each financial aid year, with the FAFSA cycle being tied to the traditional academic calendar: An application for the 2025-2026 financial aid year would correspond to educational costs associated with enrollment in the Fall 2025 through Summer 2026 terms, whether those are calibrated on the semester vs. quarter system for a given institution. Notably, however, even though the Summer term is covered in the financial aid year, federal student aid for Summer enrollment tends to be relatively limited.
Private Grant Sources
Federal grants for education will typically be need-based. The same is generally true for grants funded by private organizations, but it is important to recognize that not all private sector educational grants will employ the same definition of “need” as the Federal Pell Grant. A number of non-profit advocacy groups provide guidance that may help you identify private-sector grants and scholarships for disabled individuals that determine need based on an applicant’s type of disability or their aims in getting additional education after becoming disabled.
Additionally, some employers may offer educational funding for LTD recipients who express an interest in developing additional skills that might be of value to the company, or that might prepare an employee who is currently receiving ADA accommodations to transition into a role that requires fewer accommodations from the employer because the demands of the new role are less affected by the individual’s specific condition. Grants and other funding sources may even be available to employers to help offset these educational costs.
Applying for Grants
Setting aside for the moment the Federal Pell Grant, whose application is connected to the standardized FAFSA form, most grant application processes will require several steps. Although the specific requirements of a grant application vary widely from one grant to another, following a few general principles can put you in a position to navigate those specifics with greater confidence.
Understand the Grant’s Goals
While it is true that grants are generally need-based forms of financial aid, grant-sponsoring organizations do not all aim to meet the same needs. Beyond the common denominator of access to financial resources that forms the fundamental need answered by educational grants, often philanthropic donors and charitable organizations will create specific grants designed to close that economic gap for individuals who fit a certain profile. Usually the rationale is that the organization or individual funding the grant considers individuals fitting that profile to be especially underserved, or especially underrepresented in a field the grant might help them enter.
Advocacy organizations for individuals with specific disabling conditions may even offer grants tailored to assist members of their community. Set yourself up for grant application success by carefully reviewing both the grant description and the history and mission statement of the granting organization. Many non-profit organizations that award grants also provide profiles of past grant recipients. Studying these profiles can often help prospective applicants form a clear picture of what the granting organization looks for in applications for a particular grant.
Synchronize Calendars
Some grants are a one-time offer. However, many are awarded on a cyclical schedule. Identify key dates for the application opening, submission deadline, and decision calendar for each grant you are considering, and make a plan and schedule for your application process to ensure your own process conforms to the grant application timeline.
Triage Your Time and Effort
Most people, but especially many people on long-term disability, have limited time, energy, and attentional as well as financial resources. As you discover possible grant opportunities, try to “rank” them in terms of their relative fit with your own needs and qualifications, the amount of support each would provide if awarded, and the administrative overhead of completing and submitting a competitive application by the deadline for the next grant cycle. You may also want to connect with a disability rights advocate to see whether they may be able to put you in touch with resources to assist in preparing grant applications.
Scholarships
Scholarships are a merit-based source of funding intended to reward and further academic achievement. This type of funding is available for both undergraduate and graduate study, and in many cases the qualification criteria may be even more customized than those associated with grants.
Undergraduate Scholarships From Colleges and Universities
Colleges and universities commonly offer a limited number of scholarships each academic year based on the scores prospective students have earned on entrance exams like the ACT or SAT. For students registering for university courses directly out of high school, this type of scholarship is among the easiest to obtain from an administrative standpoint, as it requires very little procedural work from the applicant beyond selecting which educational institutions should receive an official report of the individual’s test scores.
Unfortunately, this streamlined process is not typically an option for the educational grants and scholarships long-term disability recipients might seek out to improve their chances of returning to the workforce. The ACT and SAT both have relatively short windows for valid reporting of test scores, and much of the efficiency available to high school juniors and seniors is based on the assumption that the testing, application, and matriculation processes will take place in relatively quick succession. However, disabled individuals interested in seeking new undergraduate degrees may wish to contact the admissions office of each college or university they are interested in attending to request a full listing of aptitude-based scholarships available and the qualifying criteria.
Scholarships From Professional Organizations
The landscape for educational funding for LTD recipients may be even more diverse and complex when it comes to scholarships than it is with respect to grants. Many professional organizations offer scholarship opportunities to individuals who show promise in the fields to which those organizations belong. These scholarships can range from one-time awards to extended programs that may provide support throughout an entire course of study, and they can vary from limited amounts that function as supplements to other forms of financial aid for students on long-term disability to substantial funding that covers many of the essential costs entailed in pursuing educational goals. Some of these scholarships can be especially useful as sources of educational funding for LTD recipients who already have undergraduate degrees but now wish to acquire graduate-level education in order to make themselves more competitive as disabled individuals in a crowded job market, particularly when they need to change careers in order to accommodate their conditions.
Scholarships From Advocacy Organizations
Numerous groups devoted to advocating on behalf of people with disabilities offer both grants and scholarships for disabled individuals. Many of these scholarships are devoted to graduate study, and several give preference to individuals who are pursuing careers in fields that lend themselves to work that stands to benefit disabled people. Consider starting your search with the advocacy organizations that have been helpful in your own journey, and expanding from there.
Think Beyond Financial Aid for Students on Long-Term Disability
You are more than your disability and more than the condition that limits your career options. As you review possible sources of educational funding for LTD recipients, keep in mind all of the many other ways you might qualify for financial assistance. Grants and scholarships for disabled individuals can be especially helpful because their application generally excludes the vast number of people without disabilities who also seek financial aid to further their educations. However, the reverse is not necessarily true. The educational grants and scholarships long-term disability recipients may qualify to receive expand beyond financial aid for students on long-term disability specifically to encompass financial aid based on career path, or age, or ethnicity. You might qualify to receive an educational scholarship as a woman pursuing a career in which women have traditionally been underrepresented, or a member of a minority group entering a field in which employers are not only actively recruiting, but also funding, prospective employees who share your background. Think of grants and scholarships for disabled individuals as only one class of educational funding for LTD recipients, and consider all of the many reasons why you might qualify for additional financial assistance in pursuing your education.
