Scholarships for Cancer Survivors

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Are There Scholarships for Cancer Survivors?

There are cancer scholarship programs for those who’ve met this life threatening disease and survived. Cancer takes many forms so there are various kinds of scholarships for cancer survivors. 

Many schools and charities have scholarship funds set aside for cancer patients and survivors who suddenly are battling this disease. Family members such as children may also apply for awards. You may be eligible if you’re a college freshmen pursuing a bachelor’s degree. There are also sources that provide graduate school scholarships. Prospective college students should also submit a FAFSA. This helps determine if you are eligible for federal financial aid and show unmet financial need. 

If you had a specific type of cancer, there are scholarships for breast cancer survivors, leukemia, brain cancer, and more. When applying, you may need to show financial need, a cancer diagnosis and a certain GPA.

Survivors of cancer may qualify for scholarships if you were diagnosed with either:

  • Bone cancer
  • Leukemia
  • Brain tumor
  • Mesothelioma
  • Lymphoma
  • Pediatric cancer

The Bristol Myers Squibb Scholarship For Cancer Survivors is open to young adults aged 25 or less. There are 25 awards of $10,000 each. To qualify, you must have plans to enroll full time in a two year community college, four year college or career school. 

Are you a leukemia patient or the child of a non surviving leukemia patient? If so, check out the Michael A. Hunter Memorial Scholarship. Award amounts range from $2,000 to $5,000. As an eligible applicant, you also need a 3.0 GPA and plan to enroll full time at an accredited college in the United States.

Are There Scholarships for Children and Siblings of Cancer Survivors?

Cancer often takes a financial toll on loved ones and may affect the entire family. So, there are also scholarships for family members of cancer patients and survivors. These may be scholarships for siblings of cancer patients and/or children who may have lost a parent to cancer and in need of financial aid. 

These depend not on your own diagnosis, but on your relative’s. So, you may likely to need a letter from a medical person to attest to their illness. The financial assistance may be a one time sum or renewable award. Scholarships for children and siblings of cancer survivor could ease the financial burden of college.

To give you an idea, LI2Day Walk offers the Maria A. Sciara Scholarships. Each year, three awards of $2,000 go to high school seniors who reside in Nassau or Suffolk counties in New York. Eligible applicants must aspire to be teachers. You also must now live with or have lived with a parent/guardian who is a survivor of cancer other than breast cancer. 

Are you living with a family member battling leukemia or lymphoma? Jackie Spellman Foundation scholarship offers between $3,000 to $10,000. You may be a survivor, or be related to an individual with the cancer.  It’s for high school seniors, current college students and graduate students. This award is in memory of Jackie Spellman who passed away with acute myeloid leukemia. 

10 Cancer Survivor Scholarships You Should Apply for in 2021

To help you narrow your search, here’s a list of 10 college scholarships for cancer survivors. If you meet the eligibility rules, apply today before the deadline! 

  1. Bristol Myers Squibb Scholarship For Cancer Survivors
  2. Shaundrika Taylor Cancer Foundation, Inc. Scholarship
  3. Bone Marrow & Cancer Foundation Scholarship
  4. Canceling Cancer Scholarship
  5. MESOTHELIOMA.COM SCHOLARSHIP 
  6. Cancer Care Betsy Tontini Nursing Scholarship 
  7. Cancer Awareness Scholarship 
  8. PEDIATRIC CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP 
  9. National Collegiate Cancer Foundation Survivor Scholarship 
  10. BEYOND THE CURE AMBASSADOR SCHOLARSHIP

What Organizations Help Survivors of Cancer Pay for College?

Thanks to the advocacy and efforts of cancer organizations, your dreams of higher education and earning a college degree may be achievable for many survivors. 

The American Cancer Society is a nonprofit health organization whose mission is to free the world from cancer. To do this, they offer support in many ways. They promote healthy lifestyles, work with lawmakers, research and even offer rides to cancer treatments. While they do not offer scholarships, ACS does offer research grants. 

Cancer Survivors’ Fund is a nonprofit known to help survivors pursue a college education through scholarships. Applicants also agree to volunteer with cancer patients in return for funding. You also do not need to receive cancer treatment to qualify. 

Patient Advocate Foundation provides direct services to patients with chronic, life threatening and debilitating diseases. They guide patients through health care challenges. They’ve also offered 126 scholarships since 2000. These tend to be for those diagnosed with or treated for a cancer or chronic disease. Both graduate students and undergrads may apply. 

The Children’s Cancer Cause provides financial assistance and support to children with cancer. Their scholarship program awards 58 college students. It is for childhood cancer survivors under 25. You also must be diagnosed with cancer before turning 18. In order to qualify, you must have at least 2.5 GPA, be a US citizen, and attend an accredited school.

List of Scholarships for Cancer Survivors

Check out our list of cancer scholarships worth .

Bone Marrow & Cancer Foundation Scholarship Grants

The Bone Marrow & Cancer Foundation offers financial need based scholarship grants to students enrolled in public schools, two- and four-year academic programs, specific trade schools and homebound educational programs.
Award Amount

Total: $1000

Awards: 1

Deadline

Deadline: 

The Ruth Cheatham Foundation

The Ruth Cheatham Foundation is dedicated to providing hope to young adults in all stages of the cancer treatment process. We offer college scholarships in order to reduce the financial burden of a cancer diagnosis and help young people pursue their dreams of higher education. Teens cancer survivors face financial hardships that limit their options for higher education, on top of all the normal struggles of being a teenager. These young people have some of the most complex treatment needs, yet they receive the least amount of support. Education is key to long-term success, yet out of reach for many financially devastated young cancer patients. TRCF supports survivors to ensure access to higher education and completion of a degree. TRCF bridges the educational opportunity gap and provides the gateway to economic opportunity and a higher quality of life for young cancer survivors.
Award Amount

Total: $20000

Awards: 1

Deadline

Deadline: February 23

Cancer Survivorship Scholarship

The Law Offices of Tedone & Morton, P.C., founded by attorneys Cosmo Tedone and Barbara Morton, provides each of its clients with personal attention and vigorous advocacy. The legal team has over 100 years of combined experience and makes it their mission to achieve their clients’ objectives as effectively and efficiently as possible. Cosmo and Barbara personally understand the life-changing effects a battle with cancer can have on an individual and their family. The team appreciates the resilience and strength cancer patients, survivors, and their families display during such a challenge. They hope to extend this appreciation through their Cancer Survivorship Scholarship. Each semester, the Law Offices of Tedone & Morton, P.C. offers college students the opportunity to receive $1,000 in funding toward their college education.
Award Amount

Total: $1000

Awards: 1

Deadline

Deadline: February 28

Conquering Childhood Cancer Scholarship

Norden Leacox Accident & Injury Law is proud to announce a new scholarship for those who have faced significant challenges in their lives. Our firm’s 2023 Conquering Childhood Cancer Scholarship will award $1,000 to one student who describes their experiences with this difficult disease. For more information and the requirements to apply, please visit our scholarship page.
Award Amount

Total: $1000

Awards: 1

Deadline

Deadline: July 31