The Neurodiversity Scholarship
Frequently Asked Questions
Timeline
Our application for the 2025-2026 school year will open on November, 1, 2024 at 12:00am PT and close on January 15, 2025 at 11:59pm PT.
All applicants will be notified of a decision via email by March 1, 2025.
50% of the scholarship award ($500 or $1,250 depending on award amount) will be sent to your college or university by September 15, 2025, assuming initial disbursement form and supporting documentation are received by the August 31, 2025 Deadline. The remaining 50% of the scholarship award ($500 or $1,250 depending on award amount) will be sent to your college or university by January 15, 2026, assuming follow-up disbursement form and supporting documentation are received by the December 31, 2025 Deadline.
Eligibility
In order to receive The Neurodiversity Scholarship, applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Be between the ages of 16 to 26 years old at any time during the 2025-2026 academic year.
- Be enrolled, or plan to enroll, full-time or part-time at a not-for-profit college or university within the U.S. during the 2025-26 academic year.
- Identify as neurodivergent, including one or more challenges related to learning such as Dyslexia, ADHD, Processing Disorders, Autism, or similar learning disabilities.
Please note that current staff, board members, and contractors for The Neurodiversity Alliance, and their relatives are not eligible to apply.
We define neurodivergent in the context of challenges with one or more of the key processes related to learning and cognition. To be eligible, a recipient must have been identified as having one or more of the following:
- Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyspraxia, or similar
- ADHD, ADD, Executive Functioning, or similar
Auditory or Visual Processing Disorders, Slow Processing, or similar - Autism Spectrum Disorder, Aspergers, or similar
Aphasia, Dysphasia, Stuttering or similar - Non-Verbal Learning Disability (NVLD) or similar
- Any other challenge that falls under specific learning disabilities or autism
Yes, students must be between the ages of 16 to 26 years old at any time during the 2025-2026 academic year. For 2025-2026 scholarships, that means that anyone born between June 30, 1999 and July 1, 2009 is eligible to apply.
No, we do not require citizenship status to apply or receive this scholarship.
Yes, this scholarship is only available to students enrolled at a college or university located within the United States.
Application Details
Students must register with The Neurodiversity Alliance to access the scholarship application from within The Neurodiversity Alliance’s online portal and mobile app. Registration is free and easy - get started today!
Our application for the 2025-2026 school year will open on November, 1, 2024 at 12:00am PT and close on January 15, 2025 at 11:59pm PT.
To be fair to applicants, we are very strict on the due date. We cannot accept late applications or materials and we aren't responsible for hardware malfunctions, bad internet connections, or other conditions which might prevent applicants from submitting an application on time. No applications will be accepted after January 15, 2025 at 11:59pm PT.
A photo, screen shot, or scanned copy of your documents are great! Just make sure that the entire document is visible and any text is not blurred or obscured.
Accommodations and support are available! Please send us an email at [email protected] and we will be happy to assist you.
You may return to your application as many times as you like before the application deadline. To be able to edit, you do need to leave the application in “draft form.” If you want to edit your application before the deadline, and have already submitted your application, please contact us at [email protected].
If your confirmation email does not arrive, check your junk-mail folder for the misplaced email. If necessary, make sure that you completed the submission steps. If neither option above corrects the problem, contact us at [email protected] to confirm your submission.
Any errors will be flagged in red when you go to submit. Correct the error(s) and re-submit. A confirmation text screen will appear and an email notification with additional information will be sent immediately upon successful submission of the application. If you are still unable to submit your application, contact us at [email protected] for assistance.
Disbursement and Renewal
Scholarships will be disbursed directly to the recipient's college or university institution.
- 50% of the scholarship award ($500 or $1,250 depending on award amount) will be sent to your college or university by September 15, 2025, assuming initial disbursement form and supporting documentation are received by the August 31, 2025 Deadline.
- The remaining 50% of the scholarship award ($500 or $1,250 depending on award amount) will be sent to your college or university by January 15, 2026, assuming follow-up disbursement form and supporting documentation are received by the December 31, 2025 Deadline.
If selected as a recipient, you will be asked to sign a scholarship award letter and submit a disbursement form prior to each payment to confirm you meet the eligibility requirement including:
- Proof of Learning Challenge: One of the following documents showing your full name and total credit hours enrolled:
- Educational Plan: A copy of your most recent Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or Section 504 Plan.
- Assessment/Evaluation Report: Ensure that the document includes your full name.
- Certification Form: If you do not have one of those documents, you can download a Certification Form and have it signed by a qualified professional in the field of disability services, special education, medicine or psychology.
- Proof of Enrollment: One of the following documents showing your full name and total credit hours enrolled:
- Official Class Schedule: A document provided by your college or university, which can be a printed copy, screenshot, or download from an internal web portal or student account.
- Verification of Enrollment Form: A form provided directly by your college or university (or via the National Student Clearinghouse).
- Government-Issued ID: A photo or copy of a government-issued ID that includes your full name and date of birth, such as a Driver’s License, Passport or other Government Identification Card.
If you take a gap year or decide not to enroll, we will offer your scholarship to another deserving applicant. You will need to apply again for the year in which you intend to enroll.
Scholarship amounts are determined based on your enrollment status, according to the proof of enrollment documentation submitted within your disbursement form:
- $2,500 Scholarship Awards: For students enrolled full-time (12 credit hours or more) at a traditional four-year college or university.
- $1,000 Scholarship Awards: For students enrolled at a community or technical college, or taking part-time classes (less than 12 credit hours) at a traditional four-year college or university.
Scholarships can be utilized for "qualified educational expenses" as defined by the IRS. These expenses include tuition and fees required for enrollment or attendance at the educational institution, or for fees, books, supplies, and equipment required for courses at the educational institution.
All scholarship awards are a one-year scholarship, but recipients are eligible to reapply and renew their scholarship for up to four years.
Additional Questions?
If you have other questions, please contact us.