If you’re deaf or hard of hearing, there’s no longer a need to let your impairment disable your college education thanks to the numerous scholarships for hearing impaired students available nationwide.
Statistics show that one in every eight people in the United States, around 30 million adults, over the age of 12 years have hearing loss in both ears, so you’re certainly not alone. Navigating through an already complex college application process can be challenging, but scholarships can help to significantly cut the financial worries.
Whether you’re attending a dedicated school for the deaf or a mainstream college with mostly hearing students, the following are 25 great scholarships offered to remove at least one obstacle on your path towards a degree.
1. AG Bell College Scholarship Program
Deadline: March 13th
As an extremely competitive merit-based program sponsored by the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the AG Bell College Scholarship is granted annually for up to $10,000 to full-time hearing impaired students who are pursuing bachelor’s or master’s degrees at accredited institutions. Applicants must have bilateral hearing loss in the moderately severe to profound range, have been diagnosed before their fourth birthday, and carry a minimum GPA of 3.25 or higher.
Contact
AG Bell College Scholarship Program
3417 Volta Place NW
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 337-5220
financialaid@agbell.org
Scholarship Link
2. Arkansas Association of the Deaf Scholarship
Deadline: May 14th
Each year, the Arkansas Association of the Deaf Scholarship is awarded for up to $2,500 to assist high school seniors who are deaf or hard of hearing pursue an undergraduate degree from an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution. Along with the application, students must send an official transcript showing a minimum GPA of 3.0, two letters of recommendation, a list of community services, and a 900-word essay or 15-minute media response describing their future career goals.
Contact
Arkansas Association of the Deaf Scholarship
P.O. Box 55063
Little Rock, AR 72215
(405) 622-8481
secretary@arkad.org
3. Betty G. Miller Fellowship Award
Deadline: April 15th
As a leading private liberal arts institution for deaf or hard of hearing students, Gallaudet University offers the Betty G. Miller Fellowship Award in collaboration with the International Alumnae of Delta Epsilon Sorority (IADES) as financial assistance for deaf women who are currently pursuing a doctoral degree full-time. Eligible candidates must have profound hearing loss, have attained 12 or more credits, and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater.
Contact
Betty G. Miller Fellowship Award
2453 Bear Den Road
Frederick, MD 21701
(301) 663-9235
ida.gerald@gallaudet.edu
4. Catherine Jackson Moss International Scholarship
Deadline: February 15th
At Gallaudet University, the Catherine Jackson Moss International Scholarship is also offered to provide financial assistance to undergraduate or graduate students with hearing impairments from outside the United States who are seeking admissions. Preference will be given to students who demonstrate financial need, maintain a minimum GPA of 2.8, and plan to return to their home countries upon graduation to become productive deaf or hard of hearing citizens.
Contact
Catherine Jackson Moss International Scholarship
800 Florida Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 651-5410
financial.aid@gallaudet.edu
5. Cochlear Graeme Clark Scholarship
Deadline: October 1st
In honor of his pioneering work that lead to the first “bionic ear” and first Nucleus implant, the Cochlear Graeme Clark Scholarship is granted for $2,000 for up to four years for graduating high school seniors with Nucleus cochlear implants who will be enrolling in an accredited post-secondary education program. Candidates must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5, be involved in extra-curricular activities, submit three reference letters, and write a short personal statement describing how cochlear technology has impacted their life.
Contact
Cochlear Graeme Clark Scholarship
13059 East Peakview Avenue
Centennial, CO 80111
(800) 216-0228
customer@Cochlear.com
6. Dean Ritter Foundation Scholarship
Deadline: March 1st
Ranging in value from $500 to $5,000, the Dean Ritter Foundation Scholarship is awarded to at least ten graduating high school seniors in the state of Illinois who are deaf or hard of hearing to cover the tuition expenses of continuing into post-secondary education. Applicants must have significant hearing loss in one or both ears, exhibit financial need, be in good academic standing, be actively involved in school or community activities, and submit a short 500-word essay discussing how hearing loss affects them.
Contact
Dean Ritter Foundation Scholarship
2413 Algonquin Road Suite 313
Algonquin, IL 60102
heather@deanritter.org
7. Deborah Love-Peel Scholarship for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Deadline: September 26th
Through the Lions Hearing Center of Michigan, the Deborah Love-Peel Scholarship for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing has been established to provide $1,000 to Michigan residents with hearing impairments who are graduating from high school and enrolling in an accredited higher learning institution. Qualified candidates must submit proof of registration, physician’s verification of hearing loss, two letters of recommendation, a report card, and a videotaped presentation or essay on what they need to succeed in school.
Contact
Deborah Love-Peel Scholarship for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
P.O. Box 37320
Oak Park, MI 48237
(313) 279-1494
gmdlionsclub@gmail.com
8. Gavalas Kolanko Foundation Scholarship
Deadline: July 25th
Annually, the Gavalas Kolanko Foundation Scholarship gives $1,250 to full-time undergraduate students with physical impairments of sight, hearing, or movement who are enrolled at the College of Charleston, Charleston Southern University, The Citadel, Art Institute of Charleston, or Trident Technical College. Recipients will be selected based on their educational desires, academic record, extra-curricular involvement, recommendation letters, and financial need.
Contact
Gavalas Kolanko Foundation Scholarship
P.O. Box 1893
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29465
(615) 542-8441
nbgavalas@gmail.com
9. George H. Nofer Scholarship
Deadline: April 22nd
Sponsored by the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the George H. Nofer Scholarship is awarded for $5,000 annually to full-time graduate students with a pre-lingual bilateral hearing impairment in the moderately severe to profound range who are enrolling full-time to study law, public policy, or public administration. Eligible candidates must use spoken language as their primary mode of communication, have an unaided Pure-Tone Average (PTA) or 60dB or greater, and be enrolling in an accredited graduate school.
Contact
George H. Nofer Scholarship
3417 Volta Place NW
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 337-5220
financialaid@agbell.org
10. Help America Hear Scholarship
Deadline: March 29th
Created by the Foundation for Sight and Sound (FSS), the Help America Hear Scholarship provides $500 in tuition assistance with two state-of-the-art ReSound Hearing Aids to graduating high school seniors with significant hearing loss who are furthering their studies in college or vocational school. Applicants must write a one to two-page essay discussing the challenges they’ve experienced as a hearing impaired student and how hearing aids will increase their ability to learn.
Contact
Help America Hear Scholarship
P.O. Box 1245
Smithtown, NY 11787
(631) 366-3461
scholarship@foundationforsightandsound.org
Scholarship Link
11. Herbert P. Feibelman Jr. Scholarship
Deadline: April 15th
Sponsored by the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Herbert P. Feibelman Jr. Scholarship is awarded for $2,500 annually for mainstream full-time college students in the metropolitan Washington DC area who have been diagnosed with moderately severe to profound hearing loss prior to acquiring spoken language. Candidates should submit an unaided and aided audiogram, a certified official transcript, and a letter of recommendation from a current national member of AG Bell.
Contact
Herbert P. Feibelman Jr. Scholarship
3417 Volta Place NW
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 337-5220
financialaid@agbell.org
12. J. Paris Mosley Scholarship
Deadline: March 31st
Within the Cleveland Foundation, the J. Paris Mosley Scholarship is granted for $1,000 each year to post-secondary students who have hearing impairments or whose primary caregivers are deaf or hard of hearing. Qualified applicants must demonstrate financial need, be matriculated in a college or vocational school program, have a minimum GPA of 2.5, use some form of sign language to communicate, maintain full-time enrollment, and have U.S. citizenship.
Contact
J. Paris Mosley Scholarship
1422 Euclid Avenue Suite 1300
Cleveland, OH 44115
(216) 861-2810
TCFScholarships@clevefdn.org
13. Jessie Ridley Foundation Scholarship
Deadline: September 30th
At the University of Michigan, the Jessie Ridley Foundation Scholarship offers up to $2,000 annually for four to seven students with visual, hearing, or mobility impairments who are enrolled full-time in one of the university’s undergraduate or graduate degree programs. Selection will be made based on financial need, parental income, severity of the permanent disability, academic record, career objectives, and overall worthy qualities.
Contact
Jessie Ridley Foundation Scholarship
505 South State Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
ssdoffice@umich.edu
14. Linda Cowden Memorial Scholarship
Deadline: March 12th
In memory of a dedicated liaison to the Bridges program who lost her courageous battle with cancer in 2004, the Linda Cowden Memorial Scholarship is awarded for $1,000 each year for a deaf or hard of hearing person who has been accepted for enrollment in a post-secondary program. For consideration, candidates must live in one of the 16 Tennessee counties that Bridges serves, be U.S. citizens, include a copy of their most recent audiology report, and submit typed responses to four essay questions.
Contact
415 4th Avenue South Suite A
Nashville, TN 37201
(615) 248-4797
ap@hearingbridges.org
15. Louise Tumarkin Zazove Foundation Scholarships
Deadline: May 26th
Each year, the Louise Tumarkin Zazove Foundation Scholarships are distributed for varying amounts to U.S. citizens or permanent residents with significant bilateral hearing loss who exhibit financial need for attending an accredited non-profit higher learning institution physically located within the United States. Qualified candidates must be working full-time towards an undergraduate degree, have at least 50 db unaided hearing loss in both ears, and submit at least three letters of recommendation discussing their educational potential.
Contact
Louise Tumarkin Zazove Foundation Scholarships
2903 Craig Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
philip@ltzfoundation.org
16. Maude Winkler Scholarship Program
Deadline: February 15th
As part of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Maude Winkler Scholarship Program is offered for $2,000 annually to undergraduate or graduate students with hearing impairments who are pursuing a degree in biological science, physical science, or engineering. Eligible applicants must be enrolling full-time in university programs for students with normal hearing, have suffered hearing loss before their fourth birthday, exhibit financial need, and show great potential for scientific leadership.
Contact
Maude Winkler Scholarship Program
3417 Volta Place NW
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 337-5220
financialaid@agbell.org
17. McAlister Foundation Scholarship
Deadline: March 30th
For upcoming graduates of the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind, the McAlister Foundation Scholarship is available to provide $2,000 in financial assistance for continuing education at an accredited four-year state college. Applicants must be deaf or hard of hearing as verified by an audiogram, reside in South Carolina, exhibit academic ability for completing college-level coursework, demonstrate financial need, and submit two recommendation letters.
Contact
McAlister Foundation Scholarship
355 Cedar Springs Road
Spartanburg, SC 29302
(864) 577-7521
lcoon@scsdb.org
18. Millie Brothers Scholarship
Deadline: May 1st
Through Children of Deaf Adults (CODA) International Inc., the Millie Brothers Scholarship is awarded for $3,000 annually for two hearing children of deaf adults who are pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution. Applicants must be the son or daughter of one or two deaf parents, have a high school diploma, submit two letters of recommendation, and write a 500-word essay discussing how having deaf parents has shaped their lives.
Contact
Millie Brothers Scholarship
106 Central Street Suite 480
Wellesley, MA 02481
(413) 650-2632
coda.scholarship@gmail.com
19. Nancy J. Bloch Leadership & Advocacy Scholarship
Deadline: February 1st
Administered through the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), the Nancy J. Bloch Leadership & Advocacy Scholarship provides a $3,000 – $6,000 stipend for deaf or hard of hearing graduate students who actively participate in a 10-week summer internship to protect the civil, human, and linguistic rights of the American deaf community. Applicants must be committed to public service by being enrolled full-time in a law, public policy, non-profit management, public administration, or related degree path.
Contact
Nancy J. Bloch Leadership & Advocacy Scholarship
8630 Fenton Street Suite 820
Silver Spring, MD 20910
(301) 587-1789
nad.info@nad.org
20. Ned Behnke Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Deadline: March 1st
Established in 2005 in honor of a beloved alumni member, the Ned Behnke Memorial Endowed Scholarship is presented annually for $2,000 to deaf and hard of hearing students enrolled in the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) full-time. Eligible recipients will be pursuing a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in art or photography, exhibit financial need, maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0, have significant hearing loss, and display outstanding artistic abilities.
Contact
Ned Behnke Memorial Endowed Scholarship
52 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, NY 14623
(585) 475-6400
rgssfa@rit.edu
21. Paula Marie Kuehn Endowed Scholarship
Deadline: April 1st
At the University of Toledo, the Paula Marie Kuehn Endowed Scholarship is awarded for $1,000 each year to a blind, hearing impaired, or wheelchair-bound student currently enrolled full-time in an undergraduate or graduate program. Qualified applicants must be U.S. citizens, demonstrate significant financial need, possess a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher, and verify their disability through the university’s Office of Accessibility.
Contact
Paula Marie Kuehn Endowed Scholarship
1820 Rocket Hall Stop 342
Toledo, OH 43606
(419) 530-4981
studentdisabilitysvs@utoledo.edu
22. PSAD Scholarship Program
Deadline: April 15th
Annually, the Pennsylvania Society for the Advancement of the Deaf (PSAD) hosts a scholarship program to offer at least $1,000 to qualified deaf or hard of hearing high school graduates who are enrolling in post-secondary education to pursue their desire to nurture deaf and hard of hearing children. For consideration, applicants must show financial need to cover the costs of attending a program centered on deaf education, early childhood education, social work, psychology, or other human services.
Contact
PSAD Scholarship Program
46 Bittersweet Drive
Glen Mills, PA 19342
(484) 840-5670
scholarship@psadweb.org
23. Sertoma Hard of Hearing or Deaf Scholarship
Deadline: May 1st
Since its inception in 1994, the Sertoma Hard of Hearing or Deaf Scholarship has provided $1,000to cover the tuition costs of pursuing a bachelor’s degree at an accredited U.S. college for individuals with at least 40dB bilateral hearing loss verified on audiogram. Qualified candidates must be U.S. citizens, be enrolling full-time, have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher, submit two letters of recommendation, and write a 500-word personal statement describing their educational goals.
Contact
Sertoma Hard of Hearing or Deaf Scholarship
1912 East Meyer Blvd.
Kansas City, MO 64132
(816) 333-8300
infosertoma@sertomahq.org
Scholarship Link
24. TPA Scholarship Trust for the Hearing Impaired
Deadline: Ongoing
Within the Travelers Protective Association, the TPA Scholarship Trust for the Hearing Impaired was created in 1975 to provide financial assistance to young people suffering from deafness or a severe hearing impairment for pursuing their dreams in higher education. Along with the completed application, applicants must include medical certification of their disability, an official transcript, expected financial costs, and a personal statement describing their hearing defect.
Contact
TPA Scholarship Trust for the Hearing Impaired
2041 Exchange Drive
Saint Charles, MO 63303
(636) 724-2227
support@tpahq.org
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Overall, the scholarships we have highlighted here are only a few of the financial aid opportunities available for college students with various levels of hearing loss. Once you select a college that will provide the learning support you need to prosper, consider applying for some of these great scholarships for hearing impaired students to cover the tuition costs.
See also: 25 Great Scholarships for Students with Disabilities
