National Multiple Sclerosis Society Mid America Chapter Scholarship provides an opportunity for high school students or graduates who have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, or whose parents have MS, to attend college.
Students applying can enroll full-time or part-time in a four-year college or two-year technical school. The scholarship is not renewable; it can be used in the freshman, sophomore, junior or senior year of college. Applicants can be citizens of the U.S., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam or any other U.S. territory. They must be attending college for the first time.
The National MS Society is focused on MS research in an effort to find a cure. They have chapters across the U.S. who help MS patients and their families with information and support services. The scholarship program was established in 2003. The most recent scholarship awards totaled $1 million and helped 646 students.
Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the immune system that damages nerve fibers in the central nervous system. The symptoms can be mild to severe and include symptoms such as fatigue, numbness, walking and balance problems, speech disorders, cognitive disfunction, seizures and tremors, among others. Approximately 400,000 people in the U.S. are diagnoses with MS. It is estimated that more than 2.1 million all over the world are affected with MS.
The deadline for this scholarship is usually in JANUARY of each year, and the award amount is usually $1,000 - $3,000.
For more information, visit www.scholarshipamerica.org/mssociety/