As the academic year commences, the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation is awarding $3.7 million to our partner colleges and universities across the country in support of 26 students with spinal cord injury (SCI) on their higher education journeys. These scholarships include tuition and fees, plus supplemental support aiming to eliminate barriers to students’ education such as costs associated with accessible housing, assistive technology, and transportation.
To foster our Founder’s belief in the importance of access to education, the Neilsen Scholarship Program (NSP) has supported academic institutions who strive to make their campus accessible to students with SCI since 2014. It began with eight schools and has evolved to comprise 17 partner institutions that include a wide range of colleges and universities serving various student populations.
In total, the Foundation has provided scholarships for 301 students with SCI since its inception, supporting Neilsen Scholars who have completed academic programs that range from Associate’s degrees to Doctorates. We are thrilled for all of the graduates and are proud to showcase many of them on our “Meet the Graduates” page. One graduate, Adam Booker from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, shared his experience, saying, “With a graduate-level degree, one that I achieved because of this Scholarship, I have the freedom to pursue a career in my period of focus, and that is a freedom unlike any other.”
Access to education for students with disabilities is imperative to the progress of inclusion. Higher education enriches lives by introducing students to a wider world and opening doors to new opportunities. As it is often the first time living away from home, the transition to college life is especially challenging for students with disabilities. Accessible housing, campuses, transportation, and necessary assistance are critical to their success—along with social acceptance and a campus-wide culture that says, “all are welcome.” This inclusive environment not only supports students with disabilities but also enriches the entire campus community.
Ensuring the success of Neilsen Scholars and other students with disabilities takes a team of offices and people on campus. Disability services offices play a large role in the success of NSP on each institution’s campus. To promote the Foundation’s value of inclusion and support these responsibilities, we also provide grants that fund general support for the institution’s disability services office. These dollars have been used to provide programming for students with disabilities and to create greater accessibility of physical spaces for students, which furthers the culture of inclusion and accessibility on campus.
Our partner institutions actively exchange ideas and collaborate with Neilsen Foundation staff to facilitate NSP activities on their respective campuses. They promote this scholarship opportunity, recruit students with SCI, evaluate access for students, facilitate partnerships with local organizations who support the SCI community, and support students for the duration of their education. We are grateful to our partner institutions for their commitment to our Neilsen Scholars.
To learn more about our partner institutions and connect with them, use the logos on the NSP page of our website.