New ALS scholarship supports US students facing financial barriers
Deadline to apply for renewable $5K award is June 16
The Everylife Foundation for Rare Diseases is offering a new scholarship for students from the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) community in the U.S. who are planning to enroll full time in an undergraduate program for the upcoming academic year.
The Paula Kovarick Segalman Family Scholarship for ALS offers one award of up to $5,000 each year to a student who has been financially affected by ALS — either through a personal diagnosis or that of a close family member. Applications are open until 2 p.m. ET June 16 and applicants will be notified in mid-August.
“After six successful years of the #RAREis Scholarship Fund, the Everylife Foundation is proud to launch a new initiative [called] Community Scholarships, created to support students in the rare disease community facing financial barriers to education,” the foundation’s patient programs intern wrote in an email to ALS News Today.
$5K ALS scholarship honors nurse, equestrian
The nonprofit noted that receiving a diagnosis of ALS or having a family member with the disease can be challenging — not just emotionally, but also financially — for everyone at home. Families in the ALS community often lack enough resources to cover academic expenses, according to the foundation.
To ease some of the financial challenges these families face, especially when it comes to affording education, the Segalman Family Scholarship for ALS was founded in 2016 to honor Paula Kovarick Segalman, a nurse and equestrian who was diagnosed with ALS in 2008 and lost her life to the disease in 2015.
The scholarship is now being offered as part of Everylife’s Community Scholarships program, which helps students in the rare disease community who are facing financial challenges.
Eligible students must be 17 or older, live in the U.S., and plan to attend a full-time undergraduate program at an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or vocational school for the entire upcoming academic year.
The Segalman Family Scholarship for ALS supports students whose lives have been affected by ALS, continuing Paula’s legacy of compassion, resilience, and dedication to education.
To apply, students need to write an essay of up to 1,000 characters outlining their educational and career goals and submit one recommendation. Students must also explain how having a family member with ALS has affected their finances in up to 1,000 characters.
The award is renewable for up to three years or until a bachelor’s degree or certificate is earned, whichever comes first. It’s based on satisfactory academic performance — that is, maintaining a cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale — and enrollment in a minimum of six credits per term.
The award can be used only for education-related expenses, or those required for enrollment in or attendance at the education institution. Other expenses related to accommodation, travel, research, and equipment will not be covered by the award.
“Founded in 2016 in memory of Paula Kovarick Segalman, the Segalman Family Scholarship for ALS supports students whose lives have been affected by ALS, continuing Paula’s legacy of compassion, resilience, and dedication to education,” according to a flyer that is part of the scholarship’s marketing toolkit.
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