Scholarships for Cancer Survivors
Beyond the Cure (NCCS/National Children’s Cancer Society) | Awards annual stipends to college bound or enrolled cancer survivors who have illustrated the ability to overcome childhood cancer with determination and motivation. Applicants must be childhood cancer survivor, under the age of 25, diagnosed before the age of 18, and a US citizen. | |
Brian Morden Memorial Scholarship | The Brian Morden Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to young men and women who have a fascination with technology and a love of music, and whose higher education course of study should include either music, some aspect of technology, or medicine. The maximum award for an individual scholarship is $1000. Applicants should be US citizens and a high school graduate. | |
Cameron Siemers Foundation for Hope | The Cameron Siemers Foundation for Hope provides $5000 grants to young adults age 18-28 who are diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, including cancer. The “life grants” are intended to be used to fulfill a dream or pay for a project that will make a difference in the recipient’s life and the lives of others. This award is focused on community service. | |
Cancer for College | Cancer for College provides one-time and recurring scholarships to current and former cancer patients. Applicants must be a US Citizen planning to enroll in an accredited four-year university, community college, or graduate school. Awards vary. Cancer and Careers was founded in 1993 by Craig Pollard, a two-time cancer survivor and double amputee. | |
Cancer Survivors’ Fund | The Cancer Survivors Fund provides scholarships for cancer survivors who are residents of the US. Candidates must be a cancer survivor or currently diagnosed with cancer, but do not need to be receiving treatment to qualify. Scholarships are awarded based on hardship and academic qualifications of the candidates. | |
CURE Cancer Support Scholarship | The Lep Foundation for Youth Education Cancer Support Scholarship. The John Lepping Memorial Scholarship is designated for students who were diagnosed with cancer in childhood and whose disease and related treatments placed a significant financial burden on them and their families. Four scholarships up to $5000. | |
Deana’s Wish Memorial Scholarship | The Deana’s Wish Memorial Scholarship is a private scholarship program established by the DLH Foundation in memory of Deana LaRae Hamilton Hughes. The program annually grants scholarships up to $2000 to college students affected by gastro-esophageal cancers in their families. | |
Expect Miracles Foundation Scholarship | http://expectmiraclesfoundation.org/expect-miracles-scholarship | Expect Miracles Foundation established its college scholarship program to help students who would find attending college to be a significant financial burden due to their history/current diagnosis with cancer. Given in memory of Paula J. Pearlstein, whose courage and energy were instrumental to the advancement of our mission in the early years, the scholarship, which may be up to $20,000 or of a lower increment, is intended to help an individual who has been impacted by cancer – either in treatment or remission – to attend a 4-year college or university in pursuit of a degree. |
Howard Honigfeld Scholarship Program | The Fighting Children’s Cancer Foundation, with the support of the family of Howard Honigfeld, has established a scholarship fund to help children who are cancer survivors fund their dreams of achieving higher education. One scholarship will be awarded in the amount of $2500 for the college education of a cancer survivor. | |
The Izzy Foundation | https://theizzyfoundation.org/menus/academic-scholarships.html | Scholarships to children with cancer (or survivors of childhood cancer) and to the siblings in two categories: (1) K-12 grades, and (2) college and higher education. |
Jackie Spellman Scholarship Foundation | Awards annual college scholarships to approximately 12 students annually ($3000 - $12000). Applicants are those affected by leukemia or lymphoma, either as survivors or related to leukemia or lymphoma patients. | |
Jeremy Cares Scholarships | Scholarships for survivors and siblings. Usual time period for application submission is January-February of each year, with announcement of recipients in April. LOCAL There is also a sibling version of this scholarship. | |
Kids-4-Kids | The Educational Aid for Survivors of Childhood Cancer is open to all applicants that have been diagnosed with cancer before their 18th birthday. | |
My Hometown Heroes | My Hometown Heroes is a 501(c)3 organization designed to provide scholarships to young adult cancer survivors between the ages of 17 and 39. Our mission is to financially assist and recognize these amazing individuals who are pursuing a college education. Through community outreach, collaboration, and creativity, we inspire the stories of hope and progress. | |
National Amputation Fund | The Claude S. Weiler Scholarship for Amputee College Students is for college students with a major limb amputation who will be attending an accredited university as a full time student. A major limb amputation is defined as loss of limb beginning at or above the wrist or ankle. | |
National Collegiate Cancer Foundation (NCCF) Scholarship | The National Collegiate Cancer Foundation was established to provide services and support to young adults whose lives have been impacted by cancer and who have continued with their education throughout treatment or after their treatment. | |
Northwestern Mutual Foundation | The Northwestern Mutual Childhood Cancer Survivor Scholarship Program awards 25 applicants $5000. There is also a sibling version of this scholarship. | |
Patient Advocate Foundation | The Patient Advocate Foundation awards eight Scholarships for Survivors of $5,000 per year for cancer survivors to initiate or complete a course of study that has been interrupted or delayed by a diagnosis of cancer or other life-threatening, chronic or debilitating disease. Recipients must be under the age of 25 and diagnosed within the past 5 years. Recipients are required to complete 20 hours of community service and maintain a 3.0 GPA during the school year. | |
Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation of the United States | The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation of the United States (PBTFUS) provides scholarships for people who have been diagnosed with a childhood brain or spinal cord cancer at or before the age of 19. | |
Simon Cancer Foundation | The Harvey Simon Memorial Scholarship is available to all applicants living in the US who are enrolled in a 4 year college and that have had any type of cancer during their lifetime. The mission of the Simon Cancer Foundation is to financially assist cancer patients by awarding scholarships and making charitable donations to camps and educational programs. | |
Textbook Scholarship Program | SurvivorVision presents the Textbook Scholarship Program to empower pediatric cancer patients/survivors. This program is available to patients/survivors who have received or are receiving treatment for a childhood cancer. Student must have been diagnosed before the age of 18. Scholarship offers $1000/year maximum towards textbook costs with students able to reapply every year for 5 years for a lifetime maximum of $5000. | |
The Rebecca H. Truelsch Memorial Scholarship | http://rebeccahtruelschscholarship.tripod.com/criteria-and-deadlines.html | Scholarship for Young Adults with any acute health-related issue(s), starting college or continuing college studies. Application period is typically May of each year. Scholarship winner(s) will be awarded a total of $500. |
The Ryan Mullaly Second Chance Fund | The Ryan Mullaly Second Chance Fund offers a $1000 scholarship for cancer survivors. Candidates must be US citizens or permanent residents, have been diagnosed with lymphoma between the ages of 13 and 20, and currently be age 25 or younger. Priority is given to students still undergoing treatment, students with a significant treatment history, students with substantial post-treatment side effects, and students just beginning their college education. | |
The Stephen Cancer Survivors’ Foundation | Scholarships for young cancer survivors, as well as additional resources. |
Related Resources
Carolyn’s Compassionate Children (CCC) | Scholarship program and database of financial resources for higher education. | |
College Scholarships | Provides information on federal and private sources of scholarships for cancer survivors. | |
FinAid | Provides information about scholarships for cancer patients, cancer survivors, children of a cancer patient or survivor, students who lost a parent to cancer, and students pursuing careers in cancer treatment. | |
Ped-Onc Resource Center | This website provides information on general scholarships, regional scholarships, and financial aid for students with disabilities, specific resources for brain tumor survivors, and links to other scholarship websites. | |
The National GRACE Foundation | Provides free college admissions and financial aid counseling to high-school and college-aged students and their families who are affected by pediatric cancer. The National GRACE Foundation presents college financial aid nights at cancer clinics and also provides families with one-on-one counseling. The National GRACE Foundation was founded by Anthony Gallonio, Direct of Financial Aid at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). His daughter, Grace, is a pediatric cancer survivor. The name of the foundation also stands for “Growing, Recovering and Achieving a College Education”. | |
T. Marchello Scholarship Foundation | Information about other scholarships for survivors is listed | |
The SAMFund: Surviving and Moving Forward | The SAMFund provides grants and scholarships for young adult survivors of cancer between the ages of 21 and 39. Must meet ONE of the following criteria: completed planned treatment with no evidence of disease, one year following the completion of planned treatment with stable disease, or in remission and on long-term hormonal therapy. | |
Scholarships.com | www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/scholarships/scholarships-by-type/cancer-scholarships | Links to cancer foundations that have created scholarships for survivors. |