Allegra Ford-Thomas Scholarship

Students with a documented learning disability, which may be listed on your school documentation as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia, Specific Learning Disability, or a math, reading, or writing disability, are eligible for consideration. Your school psychologist or practitioner typically identifies learning disabilities. Students with other disabilities, including Autism, ADHD, physical disabilities, etc, who also have a learning disability are eligible for consideration. You must have a learning disability to be eligible to apply.

NCLD requires proof of your learning disability at the time of application. Acceptable forms of documentation include school documentation—e.g., an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a formal document from your school psychologist, school counselor, or a licensed psychologist/psychiatrist. Documentation must be uploaded as a PDF.  We cannot accept photos or any other file types. Questions about documentation should be submitted to afscholarship@ncld.org.

Please choose the best answer based on your current plans . If your plans change, please let us know at afscholarship@ncld.org.

Applicants must complete an online application. The application is a multi-step online form that includes an eligibility form, information about you and your family, your academic history, and other accomplishments. Applicants must also submit their FAFSA information and detailed Estimated Family Contribution (EFC), at least one recommendation, and responses to 3 personal questions, which can be answered in text, video, or audio format. Please review each section of the application to ensure you are able to retrieve all of the materials before the deadline.

Previous scholarship winners are from diverse backgrounds across the United States . Some are school leaders, artists, academically gifted, self-starters, and fighting to beat the odds. The main things we look for in our applications is a compelling narrative about you as a potential leader for individuals with learning disabilities. You don’t need to have the best grades or be the best athlete, but show a desire to give back and do good for others. 

The Anne Ford Scholarship supports students with learning disabilities in their pursuit of a four-year post-secondary education and career advancement goals. The Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarship supports students with learning disabilities pursuing alternative post-secondary education and career advancement goals.

We encourage everyone to apply. Focus on your personal narrative. Financial need is factored into the selection process for the Anne Ford and Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarships.

Our scholarships typically open in October, and applications must be submitted by early April. Our team reviews applications on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply early. In the spring, the team completes several review rounds, finalists complete a recorded video interview in early summer, and winners are announced in mid-summer. We aim to get all payments to your college or university by the fall semester.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and will close in April 2023. 

Look for funding opportunities on FastWeb, Cappex, Unigo, BigFuture, and The College Monk. If you are already enrolled in school or get a less-than-desirable financial aid package from your school, we encourage you to use SwiftStudent to appeal your financial aid and get more money for your disability.