22 Mental health scholarships OCD, PTSD, BPD, Others

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, Mental health disorders account for several of the top causes of disability in established market economies, such as the U.S. and worldwide. In fact, in  America, one in five individuals suffer from some form of mental illness, and more than half of those who live with the impacts of mental illness daily receive no form of treatment.

One of the reasons for this is due to finances, most mental health treatments are expensive, and so many families already have a lot of responsibilities to handle. Also, some individuals with mental health disorders don’t always perform equivalent to healthy students, and this might make them automatically ineligible for some general assistance provided by schools and organizations.

The good news is that there are several mental health scholarships whether for those seeking assistance for treatment or students passionate about education but limited by any mental illness. The same applies to scholarships for eating disorders, or even assistance for those seeking mental health counseling.

Also, there are Scholarships exclusively for individuals with cerebral palsy or even those who are physically disabled.

Anyway, to make it easier to apply for any scholarship, we had to categorize each mental health scholarship.

mental health scholarships
mental health scholarships

4 Scholarships for Schizophrenia

1. Yes2Me Scholarships

Award: $2,000

Number of Recipients: 9

Eligibility: To be eligible for this scholarship you need to be a resident of British Columbia who is diagnosed with Schizophrenia and intends to attain a certificate, diploma, or degree from an accredited institution.

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2. Baer Reintegration Scholarship Program

These are among the scholarships for schizophrenia that were created to help patients pursue meaningful life through reintegration. 

Award: Varies

Number of Recipients: Varies

Eligibility: You need to be a U.S. citizen or a legal permanent resident attending an accredited school in the U.S. who is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or schizoaffective disorder.

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3. The Mark Foundation PhD Research Scholarship – Schizophrenia

This is one of the mental health scholarships awarded to a PhD student who intends to study the molecular pathology of schizophrenia. The research will take up to 3.5 years to complete at the University of Melbourne.

Award: up to $150,000

Number of Recipients: 1

Eligibility: The candidate needs to be an outstanding applicant commencing a Ph.D. in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Sciences. Also, the applicant needs to demonstrate an interest in schizophrenia.

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4. Institute for Advancement in Mental Health Scholarship Program

This is another scholarship for individuals living with schizophrenia that led to psychosis.

Award: Ranges from $1000 to $5000

Eligibility: This scholarship is awarded to students living with psychosis through educational opportunities who are attending or intend to enroll in an accredited university or college, vocational institute, trade school, or high school equivalency program.

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4 Scholarships for Depression and Anxiety

5. Michael Valdivia Scholarship

Award: $4,000

Number of Recipients: 2

Eligibility: These scholarships for anxiety are exclusively for male students who have dealt with anxiety and/or depression and are still pursuing education to be the best they can be. You’ll need to tell your story on how you faced anxiety and/or depression, and how you overcame it.

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6. ADAA BIPOC Membership Scholarship Program

This is among the scholarships for depression and anxiety provided by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America to students who identify as Black, Indigenous, or as a person of color.

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7. Gidget Foundation Australia Tresillian Scholarship

One of the important roles of Tresillian is identifying and supporting new parents who are at risk of or are experiencing perinatal depression and anxiety. One of the ways they do this is by providing scholarships.

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8. Charlie Allen Memorial Scholarship

This is among the scholarships for depression and anxiety created in memory of Charlie Allen who lost the battle over mental illness at 22 years. The scholarship is awarded based on financial need, good academic performance, and an interest in pursuing a degree in Philosophy.

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3 Bipolar Disorder Scholarships (BPD Scholarships)

9. The Jared Munroe Foundation 

Award: Ranges from $500 to $2300

Eligibility: Exclusively to students diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder who are currently in treatment and are either graduating high school seniors, or freshmen, sophomores, or juniors attending a U.S. college, university, or graduate school.

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10. Plexuss Bipolar Disorder Scholarship

Award: $250

Eligibility: To be considered for these bipolar disorder scholarships you need to write a 250 to 500-word essay on a topic provided by Plexuss regarding disability.

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11. Bipolar Advantage Scholarship Program

This is among the BPD scholarships awarded to individuals who intend to become a member of Bipolar Advantage, a 100% member-supported online community that features the Bipolar IN Order system but doesn’t have the finances. The scholarship provides either free or low-cost access to their online live courses.

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6 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Scholarships (PTSD Scholarships)

12. $2,000 Easy Scholarship: Mind Craft

Award: $2,000

Number of Recipients: Multiple 

Eligibility: These scholarships for anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), are eligible for students willing to participate in an artistic Mind Craft Showcase.

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13. Bryent Smothermon PTSD Awareness Scholarship

In memory of Bryent Smothermon these PTSD Scholarships were created to support military veterans and their children and spouses who have suffered from PTSD due to their service.

Award: $1,000

Eligibility: You need to write an essay on how your experience with military service-related PTSD has affected you, and how you intend to use your experience to help other Veteran

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14. Plexuss Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Scholarship

Award: $250

Eligibility: To be considered for this scholarship you need to write a 250 to 500 word essay on topics Plexuss will provide for candidates to choose from.

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15. Yoga therapy for PTSD: Training Scholarship

PTSD UK and The Minded Institute are generously providing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder scholarships for eligible individuals to partake in Yoga Therapy for PTSD.

Award: Fully-funded online training course

Number of Recipients: 4

Eligibility: The scholarship is only eligible for trained yoga teachers or mental health professionals.

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16. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Ian Scott PhD Scholarship

Award: Australian Rotary Health will provide salary and incidental support for a postgraduate student who is undertaking full-time research in mental health.

Number of Recipients: Varies

Eligibility: Applicants must be an Australian citizen, Australian Permanent Resident, or New Zealand citizen, and not be under bond to any foreign government to be eligible. Must recently be commencing a PhD, or already engaged in the first year of a PhD.

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17. Purple Heart Foundation Full-ride Scholarship to V School

Purple Heart Foundation is generously providing some PTSD Scholarships to veterans who were honorably discharged.

Award: Ranges from $2,000 to 100% tuition coverage

Eligibility: The scholarship is eligible to veterans of the United States with PTSD who are committed to furthering their education

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1 Obsessive-compulsive Disorder Scholarships (OCD Scholarships)

18. Behavioral Therapy Training Institute (BTTI) Scholarship

The purpose of the BTTI scholarship is to increase access to OCD and related disorders treatment for underserved communities in the United States.

Award: The scholarship reduces the fee for attending the BTTI from $650 to $100

Eligibility: This Scholarship is only eligible to independently licensed therapists who are either therapists of color or therapists who practice therapy in languages other than English. Therapists who work with a significant portion of patients of color, patients with public insurance (Medicare, Medicaid), and/or patients of low socioeconomic status.

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4 Other Mental Health Scholarships

19. Janine Williams Memorial Bursary

Hope for Mental Health is partnering with Cole Harbour-Eastern HRM Community Mental Health to award scholarships to an individual pursuing their education regardless of their mental illness.

Award: $1,000

Number of Recipients: 1

Eligibility: Besides living with mental illness to be eligible, applicants also need to reside in the communities of the Nova Scotia Health Authority, Central Zone.

20. Google Lime Scholarship

According to the name, this is among the mental health scholarships provided by the partnership between Google and Lime Connect, an NGO that’s rebranding disability through achievement.

Award: $10,000 for those studying in the US and US$5,000 for those studying in Canada

Eligibility: Applicants must be current undergraduate, graduate, or Ph.D. students enrolled at a university in the U.S. or Canada and pursuing a Tech-related degree who have visible or invisible disability.

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21. Mental Health America Scholarships

MHA provides different kinds of scholarships to Tarrant County students who pursuing careers in the Mental Health and Wellness field. Some of these scholarships include;

  • The Lezlie Culver Memorial Scholarship
  • The Patricia Pownder Connolly Memorial Scholarship
  • The Lillian Cooper Droke Memorial Scholarship
  • The Linda Lyons Memorial Scholarship

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22. Elias Foundation Inc. Mental Health Scholarship Fund

Award: Varies

Eligibility: Just like most other mental health scholarships we have listed, this one is also for U.S. citizens who are enrolled at an accredited college/university/technology program within New York State.

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Key Takeaway

In conclusion, we would love to emphasize that these mental health scholarships are not just to financially support your progress, but also a means of encouragement, empowerment, and support for those who desire to further their education but may be facing mental health challenges. These scholarships are just evidence that everyone deserves access to quality education regardless of background, and their struggles.

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