As a college student living with bipolar disorder, it can be challenging to balance your mental health with schoolwork. But don’t worry, you are not alone. There are scholarships for bipolar students available to help you succeed. These scholarships recognize the unique obstacle you face and offer financial support to help you pay for college, as well as resources to manage your condition. So, don’t let your diagnosis hold you back – apply for scholarships and take control of your future.
According to the Mayo Clinic, bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). When you become depressed, you may feel sad or hopeless and lose interest or pleasure in most activities. When your mood shifts to mania or hypomania (less extreme than mania), you may feel euphoric, full of energy, or unusually irritable. These mood swings can affect sleep, energy, activity, judgment, behavior, and the ability to think clearly.
About 3% of college students in the US are diagnosed with bipolar disorder. College students with bipolar disorder can find it hard to balance their mental health with school activities. Those who are not yet college students but looking to enter college may be discouraged from pursuing higher education because of their mental health.
Don’t allow your mental health to hold you back from achieving your educational goals, there are resources available to help you achieve your academic and career goals. I am talking about scholarships for bipolar students. These scholarships will offer you financial assistance to help you pay for college and not just that.
But you will also gain access to resources that will support and manage your mental condition as part of the scholarship package. The scholarships for bipolar students are provided by mental health foundations, federal and state governments, and a handful of universities and colleges.
There are just about a handful of scholarships for bipolar students, and there aren’t many of them but this also means that they won’t be competitive since there aren’t many bipolar students and their selection criteria won’t be a tough one.
However, it is recommended to apply for other scholarships in addition to the scholarships for bipolar students, because this can’t be the only scholarship criteria you meet, there must be others as well and we’ve got them on the scholarship category section of our blog for you to peruse.
Table of Contents
Scholarships For Bipolar Students
The following are scholarships for bipolar students:
- JC Runyon Foundation (JCRF) Scholarships
- Michael K Endowed Scholarship
- Baer Reintegration Scholarship
- The Jared Monroe Foundation Scholarship
- The Quell Foundation Fighter Scholarship
1. JC Runyon Foundation (JCRF) Scholarships
JC Runyon Foundation offers scholarships to students who have spent their resources – financial and emotional – to overcome behavioral health issues. College students enrolled in an undergraduate degree program and who have overcome the challenges of mental and behavioral health are welcome to apply for the JCRF scholarship.
You need to have completed an inpatient program in a facility, wing, or unit dedicated to behavioral health such as bipolar disorder, eating disorder, or substance abuse. JCRF scholarships are awarded to multiple students every year. To apply, you need to have your transcript, ACT or SAT score, a letter from an inpatient facility or discharge statement, a letter of acceptance to a university or college, two letters of recommendation from guidance counselors, teachers, or therapists, and a personal essay.
2. Michael K Endowed Scholarship
The Michael K Endowed Scholarship is one of the scholarships for students with disabilities provided at the Division of Student Affairs Disability Resources of Texas A&M University. To be eligible for the Michael K Endowed Scholarship, a student must be accepted into an academic degree program at TAMU and register with the school’s Disability Resources.
Michael K Endowed Scholarship is for students with bipolar disorder and the award is $1,000 for one year.
3. Baer Reintegration Scholarship
Baer Reintegration Scholarship is one of the most popular scholarships for bipolar students, and it is offered every year by the Center for Reintegration. You must be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, be currently receiving medical treatment, be a US citizen or legal resident and plan to attend school in the US, be 18 years or older, and be actively involved in rehabilitative or reintegration efforts.
The Baer Reintegration Scholarship program is for students enrolled across accredited institutions and degree programs from trade school and graduate school to certification programs and graduate degrees. Selection criteria are based on academic success, quality of essay, rehab involvement, success in dealing with the disease, references from three individuals, and recent volunteer experience.
4. The Jared Monroe Foundation Scholarship
The Jared Monroe Foundation through the contributions of donors offers scholarships to students with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder who are currently in treatment. The scholarship is made available to graduating high school seniors, freshmen, sophomores, or juniors attending college. The scholarship’s value may range from $500 to $2,300 depending on yearly donations.
To be eligible for the Jared Monroe Foundation scholarship, you must be enrolled in an accredited college in the US, have a dx of bipolar disorder, currently receive treatment verified in a current therapist letter on letterhead, have a minimum GPA of 3.0, have transcripts, and essay.
5. The Quell Foundation Fighter Scholarship
Award: N/A
Number of Recipients: Multiple
Eligibility: be a high school senior or enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program and be treated for a diagnosed mental health condition like bipolar disorder. Materials required to apply include a personal statement, an unofficial academic transcript, and an attestation of a mental health condition documented by a mental health professional.
Conclusion
There aren’t many scholarships specifically for bipolar students but here is a tip to easily find scholarships for bipolar students: contact your host institution via email or phone call and inquire if they have scholarships for students with mental health conditions. If they do, have them mail you a copy of the scholarships or direct you to a website where you will have to check through for the scholarships specifically for bipolar students.
However, you can also apply for scholarships for students with general mental health conditions which does not specify which exact mental health challenge you must have before applying for the scholarship.
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