In addition to other forms of financial aid, students with disabilities may qualify for additional scholarship funding. Several scholarships are coordinated through the Disability Resource Center.
The application for scholarships for academic year 2021-2022 includes four parts (all of the information below is also in the application form):
- The application form itself (a brief survey form). The application does not need to be completed in one sitting.
- An essay - You will need to write and upload an essay in a separate document (Word, PDF, or Google Doc) as part of your application. It should be 600 words or less and include the following (you must submit an essay not previously submitted):
- Your personal history, information about disability, and how these shape your school experience and your identity.
- A description of your short and/or long term academic and career goals, and what dives you to be resilient in the pursuit of those goals.
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A letter of recommendation - Your letter must not have been previously submitted. It should come from a recent teacher, advisor, or your supervisor of paid or unpaid, (e.g. volunteer) work, and dated 2022. Please ask your recommender to address your academic achievement, community involvement, and leadership ability or include any information that will help us differentiate you from other applicants.
Your recommender should email your letter directly to Katie Parry at [email protected]
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Documentation of disability from a licensed professional - (This documentation will be kept secure and confidential and will be shredded after the committee finishes reviewing applications.) It must provide (1) a diagnosis of your condition(s) and (2) an explanation of how one or more major life activities is substantially limited.
You can either upload this documentation in the application process or, if the Disability Resource Center has current documentation on file, you can indicate that on the application as well.
All four parts of the application are due no later than May 20, 2022.
The following three scholarships are awarded through this application process. The fourth - The Robert and Gail Buuck Family Fund for the Disability Resource Center is awarded through the Office of Admissions - see below.
Angela Brooke Warner CF Scholarship Endowment Fund
The Angela Brooke Warner CF Scholarship Endowment Fund was established in 2005 by The Angela Warner Foundation to honor and memorialize the beautiful life of Angela Brooke Warner who passed away on February 6, 2003, at the age of 21 after a courageous, lifelong battle against cystic fibrosis. Angela was born on March 11, 1981 to Donald and Linda Warner of Eden Prairie, Minnesota. She spent her entire life in Eden Prairie except for family vacations and a brief residency in San Diego, California to attend college. Despite her illness, she strived for excellence. She was an honors graduate and varsity cheerleader at Eden Prairie High School. Her spirit and vibrant personality were an inspiration to all who knew her. Her beauty, love of others, and her generous heart left eternal impressions on all who were touched by her life.
Individual awards from this scholarship fund have ranged from $1,500 - $3,000 per year.
Guidelines for Selection
- Applicants must be a new full-time undergraduate or professional school student at the University of Minnesota (including transfer students) with a physical disability.
- Preference will be given to a student or students with cystic fibrosis.
- The scholarship may be awarded annually or renewed for a maximum of four years.
- Applicants must be in good academic standing.
Marshall Access to Education Fund
The purpose of the Marshall Access to Education Fund (MAEF) is to enhance opportunities for learning for students with disabilities at the University of Minnesota. Annual distributions from the fund will be used to enhance both access to the University of Minnesota and learning opportunities for students with disabilities.
The Marshall Access Education Fund was established by alumni of Marshall High School, a Minneapolis Public School which closed in 1982. For many years, Marshall High School served the educational needs of all Minneapolis high school students with disabilities, as it was Minneapolis' only secondary facility with and elevator. In establishing this fund, alumni express their thankfulness for an educational experience which enriched their lives through opportunities to develop friendships and to grow with students with disabilities.
Individual awards from this scholarship fund have ranged from $1,000 - $3,000 per year.
Guidelines for Selection
- Applicants must be a full-time undergraduate, graduate or professional school student with a disability at the University of Minnesota. Preference will be given to full-time undergraduate students.
- This award is for new students with academic promise and may be awarded annually or renewed for a maximum of four years.
- Applicants must be in good academic standing.
The Minneapolis Bleeding Disorders Scholarship
Applicants for The Minneapolis Bleeding Disorders Scholarship must be a new, full-time student enrolling for the first time in an undergraduate program or professional school. Preference will be given to those who have an inherited bleeding disorder, per the scholarship’s guidelines.
Awards from this scholarship have ranged from $1,500 - $3,000 per year.
Robert and Gail Buuck Family Fund for the Disability Resource Center
The Buuck Family Fund is now being administered through The Office of Admissions Scholarship page. Please visit their website for more information and to acquire the application.
The purpose of the Buuck Family Fund is to provide access to higher education, opportunities for enhancing or supporting learning, and support for guidance or training in the development of self advocacy and leadership for students with disabilities at the University of Minnesota.
The Buuck Family Fund is the University's first fully endowed scholarship for students with disabilities. Alumnus Robert Buuck and his wife Gail gave the U's Office of Disability Resource Center $100,000 to establish the scholarship fund. This generous gift was spurred by an article in the University's MN Daily which noted there were no such scholarships for students with disabilities. Robert and Gail continue to support this fund. The Buucks recently made further financial contributions towards this fund to ensure scholarship opportunities for students with disabilities at the University of Minnesota.
Guidelines for Selection
- Applicants must be undergraduate degree seeking students at the University of Minnesota.
- Applicants must be in good academic standing.
- Applicants may qualify for funds for more than one year, as long as they are making satisfactory academic progress toward a degree.
- Applicants must have a physical disability. This is defined as students who have mobility, hearing, vision, or systemic conditions that substantially limit at least one major life activity, (systemic disabilities are defined as conditions affecting one or more systems of the body, including respiratory, immunological, neurological, and circulatory systems).
National Federation of the Blind
The Minnesota chapter of the National Foundation of the Blind (NFB) hosts the Minnesota Association of Blind Students (MASB), with opportunities to meet other students, learn about resources, and also offers a scholarship.
Please visit NFB of Minnesota Students page.