Higher education can open up new academic, professional, and personal opportunities. For students living with spinal cord injury (SCI), the cost of pursuing a degree may also include housing, transportation, personal assistance, and other disability-related needs. By partnering with selected community colleges and universities, the Neilsen Scholarship Program (NSP) underwrites scholarships that provide support for tuition and fees, along with supplemental financial support for students living with SCI.
Since launching in 2014, NSP has supported 319 students living with SCI. This year, the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation awarded $3 million through the program to support 32 students at 12 institutions across the country. The scholars are pursuing degrees across a range of academic fields, with programs that prepare them for careers in business, engineering, health care, research, technology, as well as roles in public service.
The community colleges and universities that partner with the Neilsen Foundation are an important part of the program. They identify eligible scholars, oversee scholarship funding at their institutions, and connect students with resources throughout their education. Several of them are also developing programs and initiatives that expand opportunities for students with disabilities across campus. One university developed a research program focused on adaptive sports, the experiences of disabled students, and the connections between health care and the disability community.
Over the years, many students have shared stories about the impact the support had on both their work in the classroom as well as their involvement in college life. Some NSP scholars have carried that connection forward into careers in research, rehabilitation engineering, and nonprofit organizations focused on SCI. Their careers show how education and lived experience can continue to inform professional work after graduation.
A recent graduate used what they learned in a 3D-printing course to create wheelchair gloves that are now used by thousands of wheelchair users in 20 countries. They later built a career with United Spinal Association, helping connect chapters and rehabilitation partners with resources and support for people living with SCI. Their story offers one example of the many directions scholars’ education and experience may take them after graduation.
The Neilsen Foundation is proud to welcome the 2026 Neilsen Scholars and appreciates its partnership with the institutions.
Georgia Institute of Technology
Hinds Community College
Ohio State University
Pennsylvania State University
Portland Community College
University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
University of Arizona
University of Florida
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
University of Michigan
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Oregon
University of Utah
Learn more about the Neilsen Scholarship Program and its partner institutions here.