Navigating ADHD scholarships for college students

I'm a high school junior with ADHD and am curious about specific scholarships for students like me. How can I find such opportunities, and are there any particular tips for applying as someone with ADHD? Would love to hear about others' experiences!

To find scholarships specifically for students with ADHD, you have quite a few national and local funds that focus on sustaining students with learning differences. A few examples include the Rise Scholarship Foundation, Inc., which rewards five scholarships every year to students with ADHD, and the P. Buckley Moss Endowed Scholarship, which is geared towards high school seniors with learning disabilities, including ADHD, who are pursuing a career in the visual arts (note that you must have a verified language-related learning difference in addition to ADHD for this scholarship). Additionally, the Anne Ford Scholarship and Allegra Ford-Thomas Scholarship, both funded by the National Center for Learning Disabilities, are available to high school seniors with ADHD along with a documented learning disability.

For applying to these scholarships, you'd want to focus on how your ADHD has shaped your experiences and positively impacted your journey. Instead of just viewing ADHD as a limitation, it can be helpful to explore how it made you a more resilient or creative problem-solver. You should highlight how you've transformed struggles into strengths.

Furthermore, do keep in mind that beyond scholarships, colleges provide academic accommodations for students with ADHD, such as extra time on exams. These accommodations are fundamental for your success in higher education.

Lastly, many students report that they've found it useful to reach out to schools or local organizations for resources related to ADHD scholarships. You might also want to reach out to your school counselors who often have information on local scholarships available.