Autism Scholarships: A Guide for Families

Paying for college is daunting for any family, and for parents of autistic students it often comes with an extra layer of questions: which scholarships is my child actually eligible for? Do they have to disclose their diagnosis? Are there awards made specifically for autistic students?

The short answer is yes. There are scholarships created specifically for autistic students, plus many broader disability and neurodiversity scholarships an autistic student can apply to. This guide rounds up real, verified options, points you to the best places to search for more, and shares how to give your child's application its best shot.

One important note before we start: scholarship amounts and deadlines change every year, and a program occasionally pauses a cycle. We list the typical award and the season each one tends to open, but always confirm the current details on the official page before applying — we link to each one directly.

How autism scholarships work

Scholarships your autistic child may qualify for generally fall into four buckets:

• Autism-specific — created for students with an autism diagnosis.
• Neurodiversity and learning-disability — for students with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, or related differences. A few require a documented learning disability specifically, so read the eligibility closely.
• Broader disability — open to students with any documented disability, including autism.
• General scholarships — the much larger pool of merit-, need-, field-, and identity-based awards that have nothing to do with disability. Your child should apply to these too. Disability-specific awards are a supplement to that search, not a replacement for it.

Most of the awards below are for college-age or transition-age students heading to a four-year college, a community college, or a vocational, technical, or transition program. Many cover all of those paths, not just four-year degrees.

Autism-specific scholarships

Organization for Autism Research (OAR) scholarships. OAR runs the best-known set of autism-specific scholarships, each worth $3,000. Applicants choose the one that fits:

• Schwallie Family Scholarship — for autistic students pursuing a four-year undergraduate degree.
• Lisa Higgins Hussman Scholarship — for autistic students at two-year colleges, vocational, technical, or trade schools, or life-skills and transition programs.
• Synchrony Scholarship — for autistic students of color.

The OAR cycle typically opens in December and closes in late April. OAR also runs a separate Synchrony Tech Scholarship for autistic adults pursuing technology training. Details and applications are at researchautism.org.

KFM "Making A Difference" Scholarship. Founded by autistic author and speaker Kerry Magro, this $500 award goes to a student with autism enrolled in a postsecondary program, chosen from a personal essay about growing up on the spectrum. Open to US and international students, typically due in spring. kfmmakingadifference.org.

Learning-disability & neurodiversity scholarships

These are open to autistic students, though a couple require a documented learning disability (LD) specifically — worth checking, since not every autistic student has a separate LD diagnosis.

The Neurodiversity Scholarship (The Neurodiversity Alliance, formerly Eye to Eye). For students ages 16 to 26 identified by a professional as having autism, ADHD, dyslexia, processing differences, or a similar learning disability, enrolled at a US nonprofit college. Worth $2,500 at a four-year school or $1,000 at a community or technical college, with around 25 awards a year. Opens in November, due in January. thendalliance.org.

Anne Ford Scholarship (National Center for Learning Disabilities). A $10,000 award paid over four years, for a graduating high school senior with a documented learning disability heading to a full-time bachelor's program. A learning disability is the qualifying criterion here, so autistic students who also have an identified LD are eligible. ncld.org.

Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarship (NCLD). The companion $5,000 award, paid over two years, for a senior with a documented LD heading to a two-year college, a vocational or technical program, or a specialized program for students with disabilities. ncld.org.

Broader disability scholarships

These are open to students with any documented disability, including autism.

Microsoft Disability Scholarship. For high school seniors with a disability pursuing technology-related majors. $5,000 per year, renewable up to four years (up to $20,000 total). Typically opens in winter — confirm it has reopened for the current cycle. microsoft.com.

Google Lime Scholarship. For undergraduate, graduate, or PhD students with a disability studying computer science or a closely related technical field. $10,000 for US students, administered with Lime Connect. limeconnect.com.

Lime Connect Pathways Scholarship. Broader than the Google award — for high school seniors with a visible or invisible disability heading to any four-year college, not only tech majors. $1,000, with multiple recipients. limeconnect.com.

AAHD Frederick J. Krause Scholarship. From the American Association on Health and Disability, for students with a documented disability who have completed at least one year of college, with a preference for health, public health, and disability-studies fields. Around $1,000. Opens in fall, due in early spring. aahd.us.

INCIGHT Scholarship. For residents of Washington, Oregon, or California with any disability, attending college or a vocational program, with a community-service component. Typically $500, due in spring. incight.org.

Where to search for more

The scholarships above are a starting point, not the whole list — new and regional awards open every year. Keep searching these vetted databases:

• Think College — scholarships plus a searchable directory of inclusive college programs for students with intellectual disabilities. thinkcollege.net
• NCLD Scholarships & Awards — the learning-disability scholarships hub. ncld.org
• BigFuture (College Board) — a free, reputable national scholarship search with disability filters. bigfuture.collegeboard.org
• UW DO-IT — the University of Washington's vetted list of disability scholarships, strong on STEM. washington.edu/doit
• Lime Connect — a disability-and-career nonprofit that lists several scholarships. limeconnect.com

How to actually win one

A few things make a real difference:

• Start early and apply broadly. Treat scholarships as a numbers game — small awards add up, and disability-specific pools are far less crowded than the giant national ones.
• Reuse and adapt essays. Most ask a version of the same questions. Write a few strong core essays and tailor them, rather than starting from scratch each time.
• Let your child's voice lead. The autism-specific essays want your child's real story and perspective — authentic beats polished. If writing is hard for them, brainstorm together and then let them put it in their own words, rather than writing it for them.
• Get documentation ready. Most disability scholarships require proof of diagnosis or a professional's verification. Keep your child's evaluation, IEP, or a provider letter on hand so a deadline doesn't catch you short.
• Disclosure is a personal choice — but for these awards it is required. Disability-specific scholarships ask your child to identify as disabled; that is the basis of eligibility, and the information stays with the scholarship committee.
• Mind the calendar. Many of these open in late fall and close in early spring, lining up with college application season. Put each deadline on a shared calendar the moment applications open.

A note on deadlines and amounts

Every award above was verified against the sponsoring organization's official page, but amounts and deadlines change each year, and a program occasionally pauses a cycle. Always confirm the current details on the official link before your child applies — and if you find that one of these has changed or closed, tell us so we can keep this guide accurate.

Related guides

• The IEP for Autism — building the school supports that set your child up for what comes next.
• Autism in Adults — what diagnosis, support, and independence can look like beyond school.
• Best Schools for Autistic Children — evaluating school options earlier in the journey.