Cancer patients and their families experience a number of financial stresses related to their illness, medical, transportation, and care-giving costs in lost work time. There are agencies and foundations to provide support for medication costs and some supplies, but it often takes a savvy and committed patient to advocate for these service. Did I mention perseverent?
There are grants for living expenses, medical expenses and even fertility treatment. More common are education scholarships. Some are listed below.
Scholarships/Grants for Children with Cancer/Life Threatening Condition
Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation-Foundation offers financial assistance to single parents of chronically ill children referred by social workers, and an annual award from an Essay submission to young recipients (usually age 12-21) facing a life threatening illness. See Foundation website for current information.
Cancer for College awards scholarships to current and former cancer patients who are currently attending either a four year accredited university, junior college and/or graduate school.Scholarships applicants must already be accepted to a university and/or attending a junior college. Scholarship amounts vary, ranging from $100 one time scholarships to four year perpetual scholarships of larger dollar amounts.
Carolyn’s Compassionate Children Awards college scholarships in the amout of $1000.00 each to survivors of childhood cancer.
FinAid This page contains information about scholarships for cancer patients, cancer survivors, children of a cancer patient or survivor, students who lost a parent to cancer, and students pursuing careers in cancer treatment.
Friends of Scott Offers a $500 scholarship to college to cancer patient/cancer survivor. Also provides meals and transportation services for children in cancer treatment.
Kyle Lee Foundation College Scholarships for Childhood Cancer Survivors, especially Ewings Sarcoma
Michael A Hunter Memorial Scholarship leukemia or lymphoma patients and/or are children of non-surviving leukemia or lymphoma patients
National Collegiate Cancer Foundation-Offers scholarships for college students who have cancer and plan to continue their education. Essay required.
Nicki Leach Foundation-Provides grants/monies for cancer patients ages 16-25 opportunity to enjoy normal or unusual activities they might otherwise not be able to afford by providing them necessary funding which might include car expenses, clothing, hair or makeup costs as well as special funding that might include the purchase of a special trip, a camera, computer or cell phone.
Patient Advocate Foundation Scholarships for individuals that have or have had cancer or been diagnosed with a life threatening disease and are under the age of 25
Ryan Mullaly Second Chance Fund Scholarships to College bound cancer survivors 22 years and younger who underwent radiation/chemotherapy for cancer while in high school.
The Ulman Fund Scholarships for cancer survivors or children who have lost a parent to cancer.
Tim & Tom Gullikson Foundation Scholarships for post high school education are made available to brain tumor patients/survivors and/or children of brain tumor patients/survivors to enable them to pursue educational programs at accredited four-year colleges and universities, two-year colleges, vocational-technical schools or other institutions of higher learning.
Working Against Cancer’s Survival Scholarship Program assists young adult cancer survivors (ages 30 yrs and under) by providing awards toward academic and vocational education
Grants for Adult Cancer Patients
Brenda Mehling Cancer Fund The Brenda Mehling Cancer Fund (BMCF) supports patients ages 18-40 as they undergo cancer treatment. It provides services to meet daily needs that are not covered by insurance. Typical grants measure $600 and include co-payments, rent and mortgage, transportation, car insurance, repairs, and groceries.
The Sam Fund -Non-profit organization that provides grants and scholarships to young adult survivors of cancer for a variety of expenses- school, jobs, etc.
Breast Cancer Survivors Breast Cancer Survivors is a non-profit organization that provides temporary financial assistance to individuals undergoing treatment for breast cancer who are unable to meet their basic living expenses due to the impact of their disease. BCS currently helps individuals in selected areas in Southern California ONLY. If you live outside Southern California, we suggest contacting your local Susan G. Komen Foundation for possible resources in your area.
Other
Cancer Fund of America will send products- nutrient drinks, diapers, gloves- to cancer patients who fill out one page application, with doctor completing part of page.
The Sarcoma Alliance Financial Assistance for patients diagnosed with sarcoma cancers( child and adult) in the form of $1000.00 grants/stipends. Download application online.
One Step At A Time-Offers scholarships to send kids with a cancer diagnosis to camp.
I am a mom who has been battling osteosarcoma since oct. 2006. I have 2 children, Max 17 & Alex 14. I have been surviving against all odds. Traditional treatments have failed me and are no longer an option so I have been forced to fight on my own. Insurance has not covered treatments that have given relief from pain & kept me going. I have had to use whatever money including college money to finance my survival effort. I am disappointed that there is not a lot of support out there for parents living with cancer or I have not been able to find it. Can you help me find some assistance specific to college assistance for my son. I don’t want him to have to give up his dream just because I became ill. He’s as special young man & I want him to be able to live up to his potential. Thank you for your kind assistance.
With hope,
terri arthur
Terri, there are some scholarships out there for college students who have parents with cancer. I would recommend registering with a free scholarship search engine like fastweb.com. Set up a different e-mail account, you will get a lot of email. In the profile page there are options for each individual to fill out, one of them being whether they are a cancer survivor or child of a cancer survivor. Depending on the year he is likely to enter college, scholarships will be found based on his criteria.
Also, I would call the patient advocate foundation, they are helpful. Advocacy is time consuming. The links I posted on my site have been tested by many. Many Blessings, Lisa
Having reviewed your scholarship information, I am writing to obtain some additional information. I am a second semester freshman at Macalester College. I am a student-athlete and have an elder sister who is graduating this spring from Pomona college in Neuro-science, and plans to work at the National Institute of Health for two years in cancer research to save money for medical school. My younger sister is a junior in high school and is actively researching college and scholarship opportunities so that she can help support her college cost.
My father was diagnosed with brain cancer when I was 16 years of age. He had surgery to resect massive tumors in his right and left frontal lobes and in his corpus collosum. An accomplished employee at Microsoft, he went through radiation and subsequent chemo-therapy protocols while continuing to work to support our family. This past summer, he had recurrent tumors appear on his frontal lobe, and facing surgery, lost his job at Microsoft. As a result, he actively pursued a new employment opportunity to help support our family and future educational needs. My parents had planned to save all stock options to pay for our college and post graduate work, but the stock was lost when my father had to leave employment at Microsoft.
My father is currently employed at World Vision. While his salary dropped to a fraction of his former, my mom- a former Speech Language Pathologist, went back to college to get her administrative credentials while raising three active and educationally driven daughters. Together, they work and take advantage of every opportunity to pay for our college and family expenses.
I am looking for scholarship opportunities for the 2010-11 school year. My father is on rigorous chemotherapy protocols, and faces life with great challenges. While I would not wish cancer on any family, we have been blessed with many silver linings and will continue to walk the journey holding the hands of each family member.
I look forward to obtaining information on the procedure of application and advice on this and other scholarship opportunities.
Thank You,
Erica DeJong
Erica, There are many scholarships availaible. I think one of the best ways is to register with a search engine like fastweb (definitely, definitely use a separate e-mail) and fill out a profile completely. There will be a place to enter information about having a parent with cancer. The search engine will send you available scholarships.
I would then contact the Patient Advocate Foundation, link above- and they may have additional help.
Lastly you can try searching the specific name of the cancer your father has with the term scholarship and see if there are any specific scholarships available.
It does take some work, be methodical and just try each one. I honestly believe the money is out there but you need to be diligent. And when the scholarship offers come in- filling each one out can be a chore- but all the money adds up.
Take care.
Lisa Riggs
I am wondering if there are scholarships for parents of children with cancer……I havnt been able to find one yet, but any help would be greatly appreciated
My daughter Marci was a 14-year-old freshman when she was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a brain cancer. She underwent emergency brain surgery hours after the initial diagnosis to remove the tumor.
Marci survived the surgery with paralysis to the right side of her body and was kept in intensive care for eight days. On the ninth day, she was placed in the oncology unit, where a nurse came to speak to her about another procedure she would need. It would be the placement of a medical port that would aid in any blood work, medicine infusion, etc; it would provide numerous uses throughout her treatment. On day 10, she goes home. On day 11, she turns 15.
Marci begins treatment; she is given the most aggressive chemotherapy and radiation a person of her age and health is allowed. She endures numerous blood and platelet transfusions, neupogen shots to help boost her dwindling immune system, neuropathy (nerve damage that becomes chronic leg pain) and atrophy (muscle loss) to her ankles, which makes her susceptible to painful spills if she doesn’t remind herself to lift her feet.
She has corrective eye surgery to diminish the palsy to her face. She has hair loss, hearing loss, vision loss and short-term memory loss. She has second-degree burns to her head and spine from the radiation, and she has weight loss so severe it warranted us having to tube-feed her.
Throughout this horrific, pain-wracked time, Marci is adamant that her academics not suffer. She is assigned a homebound teacher who brings her assignments, tutors her and is in awe of her perseverance and determination.
As we travel back and forth to the hospital for treatment, her books and schoolwork come with us. As the chemotherapy, transfusions and medicines course through her tired little body, we read, we work. She is pale, nauseous, fevered, vomiting and at death’s door, but her schoolwork does not suffer.
Finally, she is ready to return to high school. Fear and trepidation accompany her. Anxiety threatens to overwhelm her. She does not allow it — she is not a quitter. She lifts her head, her heart and her spirit and puts one foot in front of the other. She goes to summer school, morning tutoring, after-school tutoring and Saturday school. She gives all. Fatigue and chronic pain are her daily accompaniments, but she does not complain — she lives.
Marci not only caught up, but excelled. As the vice president of the National Honor Society and the prom queen, she graduated June 5, with academic distinction, cum laude.
Cancer placed limitations on Marci, but she did not let cancer limit her. She crossed that graduation stage for all of her fallen heroes who did not get the second chance she did. She proudly bore the Little Hero Medals around her neck with her NHS adornment and walked the walk of life’s lessons — those that do not come from within the walls of a school room or from within a book, but come instead from the brutality of cold harsh reality.
Marci said to us on this day, “Today I don’t need my handicapped parking permit, because today, I am not handicapped.”
No, she is not handicapped; she is an inspiration of noble accord, she is a survivor, a hero, my daughter, her father’s daughter. She is Marci Lin West.
Marci turned 18 in March and graduated from Southside High School. Lucinda F. West, the author of this essay, says the school was extremely helpful and calls its principal, Cynthia Trevino, a godsend. Lucinda is married to Toby L. West, owner and operator of TW’s Auto Repair in New Braunfels. She’s the mother of three daughters and “Momo” to two grandsons. She describes herself as a “member of the tired working class and a college senior.”
( Is there some type of grants to help complete her dream of attending Incarnet Word University of San Antonio Texas to become an Oncology Nurse, The school gave her $4000.00 a semester out of the $16,000.00
she needs. )
I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work Look forward to reading more from you in the future.
I met a young man who had a brain tumor successfully removed ten years ago. He would like to attend law school but is convinced that he cannot ever make this dream come true because he has “short term memory loss”. My questions: Are there any sources that you may refer me to that would have information on both specialized programs that may help him and fiancial aid programs that may allow for hiring a tutor to accompany him through this long process. I am a graduate of law school and would really like to see him successfully over come this fear. Thank you for any informaiton you may be able to send to me. I will relay it to him.
We are a family with 2 young children ages 5 and 8. I was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer 2 years ago at age 39. At that time our children were 3 and 6 and we were just beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel with juggling work and childcare. While my husband worked seasonally, I had been the primary earner and we were planning that my husband would go back to college to get an elementary education certification potentially combined with a masters degree. As anyone who has been affected by a cancer diagnosis knows, it is financially devastating. Ours is no exception. We are finally putting the pieces back together, both children are in school, I am in remission, and we are revisiting the certification/masters issue. It is imperative that my husband be able to get a job with benefits that earns more than $11.00/hr as my freelance business has suffered greatly and also in case there comes a time I am unable to be an earner — or worse. I am looking for any scholarships that are offered to a SPOUSE of a cancer patient. Any information is appreciated.
I was wondering if these scholarships pertain to just brain tumors and cancer. I did not have cancer or a brain tumor. The dostors could never find out what was wrong. I was 11 and i was a perfectly healthy child never had any problems with anything. All of a sudden one day i was playing in my room when I got a headache that lasted for about 2-3 days give or take. My forehead then slighlty swell up and my mother took me to the emergency room. My whole face then preceeded to swell up as well. I was rushed through two ct scans and an mri in less than an hour. the next morning I was having emergency brain surgery where they cut off part of my frontal lobe and a piece of bone in my forehead. they replaced the bone. I then had another brain surgery four months later then four years later at age 16. I was just wondering if there was any scholarships for this. If anyone knows anything about any please contact me at savannawuenstel@att.net
I am a hospice volunteer assisting a 49yr old patient who is looking for possible grants/scholorships for him or his daughter to assist with finances after his passing. Since he is unable to work he is looking for possible grants for his daughter for a future fund for her to cont. her education. His daughter is currently 15yrs old. Anyone know if any resources for this type of information??
Im 27 diagnosed with hodgkin lymphoma in 04 chemo radiation and finaly in 06 a bone marrow transplant. Im looking for a grant to help withfrozen embryo transfer. Please help if u can we just wana be parents
Are there scholarships/grants for children who have lost a parent to cancer (breast cancer)? I have a cousin who is in the end stages of her breast cancer. Hospice told us that it’s a matter of days. She has a son that wants to go to college next year. He has good grades, but our family doesn’t have a lot of money.
I would greatly appreciate any information that anyone is able to provide.
Sincerely,
Sonae
sonae.washington@gmail.com
Hello,
My daughter will be graduationg from high school this coming May. I was wondering if there are any scholarships out there for children of breast cancer surviviors?
I would appreciate any help that you can give me.
Thank You
Vicky Terronez
Breast Cancer Survivor
of 16 years.
I am happy there seem to be so much out there for young people. I am 50 yrs young. I was diagnosed with breast cancer Sep 2011. A double masectomy was my choice; and they pulled my recon at last minute. Nobody in my county of Northern Calif takes this “special breast/ovarian cancer Ins”. I spent 5 yrs taking care of my Mom with mastastesized BC. She has been gone 5 yrs. I’ve lost everything in a divorce lasting the last 4 1/2 yrs. I’ve lost everything because i wouldn’t forgive hiim for molesting his neice. I walked. My million dollar animal rescue ranch was put in foreclosure on purpose, he stopped payment on my car. He is supposed to pay me 1500 a month; our biz makes 200k a year. I can’t get the courts to enforce cntempt of court without a attorney for my spport, I am hungry alot of times. I get 800 a month on disability; I have signed up to go to a biz college in 2 weeks for 6 ms to up date my skills. I have financial aid to pay for school, but I wanted to get some money to live on and possibly buy a very cheap car. Everything out there seems to by pass my situation.
If anybody knows anywhere I can even get a loan (he destroyed my credit) I would be happy to pay it back when I start working. I’m just looking for a small break to get me going.
Thank You
Tammie
Hello, I am 18 and my mother died two months ago from cancer. When I was three she was diagnosed with Brain cancer and was given 6-12 months to live. She told the doctors she wanted to live to see me graduate from high school. She went into remission multiple times. Finally last year she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia caused by her radiation and chemotherapy. I spent the last month of my Senior year in the nursing home visiting with her. I was there when she died two days before my graduation. I don’t care what anyone else says, she kept her promise, she was there one way or another.
To anyone affected by cancer… please keep fighting for those around you. Never give up hope… Ever!
any grants for college out there for daughter of newly diagnosed breast cancer mom ?
Any college grants out there for daughter of newly diagnosed breast cancer mom ?