Pennsylvania students who are deaf or hard of hearing may apply for the Alexander Graham Bell Association scholarship, which awards $5,000 to students who communicate primarily through speech and reading lips. The association, through its Volta Scholarship Fund, gives one oral deaf student per year a $2,000 scholarship.
"Hope When Vision Fails" is the motto of non-profit Lighthouse International. The organization awards scholarship funding to legally blind high school seniors and undergraduate and graduate students. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and attend school in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut or Pennsylvania.
Children of disabled parents can apply for the state grant via Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA). Their application deadline is extended until April 1 the academic year before they plan to attend college. If a circumstance beyond the applicant's control prohibits earlier filing, such as the parent's recently becoming disabled, the application may even be considered after the April 1 deadline. If late filing was the applicant's fault, as determined by the agency, the grant may be applied to a portion of the tuition fees or a semester of schooling.
To qualify for Pennsylvania state aid, applicants must have lived in the state for 12 consecutive months prior to filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), have graduated from an accredited high school or have earned a GED (General Education Diploma), meet financial criteria, be enrolled for at least six credit hours, plan to attend an accredited college and enroll in a program of at least two years. Applicants must prove academic progress via a satisfactory GPA or passed coursework to continue receiving aid.
Follow these steps to receive financial aid, as detailed by PHEAA: Dig for scholarships, grants and other sources for free money. Identify deadlines, and send information in on time. Fill out the FAFSA. Compare scholarship packages offered by different schools. Make sure to have the money needed to attend the chosen school.