School can be expensive and stressful, but hundreds of scholarships are available. Axis has found several scholarships for students affected by mental illness, as well as scholarships for students passionate about mental health advocacy. These scholarships can help you pay for your education and make a difference in the world of mental health.
In addition to scholarships, other financial aid options are available to students with mental health conditions. These options may include grants, loans, and work-study programs.
If you are struggling to pay for school or are concerned about the impact of your mental health on your education, please reach out to your school’s financial aid office or a mental health professional.
Here are some general scholarships that you may be eligible for:
- Forbes Advisor: To start, check out a compilation of scholarship opportunities and search engines put together by Forbes Advisor. It can be overwhelming to find the right scholarship for you! Forbes rates and compares scholarship websites based on sorting ability, ease of use, and information-saving capabilities.
- U.S. Department of Labor: Another great place to start, this website compiles over 8,000 scholarship and funding options with an easy-to-use keyword search box.
- LendEDU: LendEDU divides scholarships based on various categories, including location, field of study, traits, and more.
- Boomer Benefits Medicare offers a $2,500 scholarship to students over 50 who have returned to school.
- Working Parent College Scholarship: Job-applications.com offers a scholarship for working parents in school or a post-secondary educational institution.
- College JumpStart Scholarship Program
- Trade School Scholarships: The Imagine America Foundation provides scholarships for adult students seeking to attend a participating career college.
- Empire Electric Association: (Cortez, CO) EEA provides scholarships to local high school seniors and adults interested in continuing their education.
- PCE Grant:The P.E.O. Program for Continuing Education provides a need-based grant to women pursuing further education after returning to school.
- EWI Scholarship Program:Executive Women International provides scholarships to high school seniors and adults facing economic, physical, or social challenges.
- Jennette Ranking National Scholar Grant: The Jeanette Rankin Foundation provides non-tuition funding and support to women and nonbinary students ages 35 and older who demonstrate financial need and are pursuing technical or vocational, associate’s, or first bachelor’s degrees.
- Education Support Awards: The Patsy Mink Foundation offers $5,000 Education Support Awards to assist low-income women with minor children who are pursuing post-secondary education or training.
- Live Your Dream Award: Soroptimist International provides assistance up to $16,000 for women pursuing vocational/skills training or graduate degree program.
Mental Health-Related Scholarships:
- Scholarships360: Scholarships360 has compiled a list of recent scholarships for students who have struggled with mental health issues or who show a demonstrated interest in raising awareness around mental health issues.
- Meaningful Existence Scholarship A scholarship posted on the bold.org scholarship platform that offers $5,000 for students interested in a career as a therapist.
- Mental Health Scholarships Other scholarships on bold.org related to mental health struggles and mental health awareness.
- Mental Health Reform Scholarship: A scholarship awarded by attorney Dayne Phillips that encourages students to think about how to improve mental health systems in the United States.
- JED’s Student Voice of Mental Health Award A $3,000 scholarship awarded by the JED Foundation to an undergraduate college student working to raise awareness for mental health issues, reduce stigma surrounding mental illnesses, and encourage help-seeking.
- Health Professional Loan Repayment The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment offers educational loan repayment options for primary care providers in designated health professional shortage areas.
- Quell Foundation Survivor: The Quell Foundation awards a scholarship to select high school seniors and undergraduate/graduate students who have experienced the loss of a parent, caregiver, or sibling to suicide.
- Addiction Awareness Scholarship Campaigns: An essay contest for students entering or enrolled in a post-secondary educational program, sponsored by addiction treatment center Seasons in Malibu. Winners will receive a $1,500 scholarship for essays related to the topic of addiction.
- Center for Collegiate Recovery Communities: at Texas Tech University: CCRC provides scholarships and support for TTU students in recovery from substance use and eating disorders.
- Lost Dreams Awaken Scholarship A $3,000 bold.org scholarship for undergraduate or graduate students in recovery from substance abuse or alcohol addiction.
- Clean and Recovery Scholarship Essay Contest An essay contest sponsored by CleanAndRecovery.com on the topic of binge drinking on college campuses. The winner will receive $1,000 and the runner-up applicant $250.
In addition to scholarships offered by schools and other organizations, you may also want to check out the webpages of nonprofit and governmental associations that offer scholarships to students working to end substance use and alcohol abuse or raise awareness surrounding mental health issues. Some of these organizations include:
- The National Institutes of Health
- State and Municipal health department
- Mental Health America
- The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
- Shatterproof
- Helping Others Live Sober
- Hornbuckle Foundation
Additionally, if you are interested in working in healthcare, you may want to take advantage of the Care Forward Colorado program.
The program provides free training and certificate programs for students interested in working in healthcare at community colleges in Colorado. Programs covered under this initiative include: certified nursing assistant (CNA), emergency medical technician (EMT), phlebotomy technician, pharmacy technician, medical assistant, dental assistant, nurse refresher, integrative health practitioner and massage therapy, sterile processing, paramedic certificate, echocardiography certificate, medical billing and coding, and medical office certificate.