Microsoft Disability Scholarship Details & Application

Microsoft understands the challenge of being disabled, especially when you decide to take the extra step to be educated. In the same way, so many other organizations in the United States do understand and provide some other forms of disability scholarships to help disabled students further their education.

Some organizations even focused on graduates with disabilities to provide them with the right financial aid, whereas Microsoft is interested in disabled students into tech.

Due to Microsoft being one of the big tech establishments, you should also expect most of their scholarships – perhaps all – to be channeled toward technology. Microsoft disability scholarship’s aim is to empower students with disabilities to achieve more through access to education leading to a career in technology.

Microsoft disability scholarship
Microsoft disability scholarship

Microsoft Disability Scholarship Details

In recent years, Microsoft is channeling its interest to younger generations. So this scholarship will be awarded to promising high school seniors with disabilities who plan to attend a vocational or academic college and aspire to have a career in the technology industry.

The good thing is Microsoft values consistent results and has decided that winners that continue to meet the criteria are eligible to receive an annual award of $5,000 for up to four (4) consecutive years for a potential total of $20,000 scholarship. A total of eight (8) scholarships will be awarded.

Another interesting thing is that you don’t need to be a U.S. citizen to apply, but that also means that you should expect it to be very competitive. But, you need to plan to or already attend a school based in the United States.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the Microsoft disability scholarship you need to;

  • Be a current high school senior living with a disability as defined by WHO (World Health Organization), including visual, hearing, mobility, cognitive, and/or speech disabilities or other disability
  • Plan to attend an undergraduate program in a 2 or 4-year University/College or Technical College in the fall of the academic year following high-school graduation.
  • Declare an approved major in engineering, computer science, computer information systems, law, business, or a related field (e.g. paralegal, pre-law, finance, business administration, or marketing).
  • Demonstrate a passion for technology.
  • Demonstrate leadership at school and/or in the community.
  • Have a high school cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.
  • Require financial assistance to attend college.
  • Enrollment status must be full-time or half-time.

How to Apply

Application for this scholarship usually opens in January annually. You will be asked to provide some important details like; 

Your future plans:

  • Information about the post-secondary school you plan to attend
  • Your educational and career goals

Information about you:

  • Activities, Awards, and Honors (they will even love it when you include awards and/or recognitions that are technology related)
  • Work experience
  • Financial information
  • Any unusual family or personal circumstances (including circumstances caused by ongoing disability-related expenses)

Transcript:

  • An official or unofficial copy of your current academic transcript

Essay:

  • You need to provide a 2,000 characters max of an essay they will give you the topic on.

A letter of recommendation:

  • The letter must be from a faculty or staff member at your school or a member of the community that has worked with you in a supervisory role.
  • The letter of recommendation should be original and should not be duplicates of college recommendation letters.
  • Applicants are not permitted to include relatives as references.

Conclusion

You can visit Microsoft Disability Scholarship’s official website to learn more about their award.

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