Top Scholarships for Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and the world needs it more than ever. Mental health is paramount in our lives as the world continues to provide challenges to our perceptions and ways of life. Education around mental health also develops to provide more inclusive and expanded care for individuals who were formerly written off in poor fashion by those who did not understand their condition.
For prospective students aiming for higher education, mental illness can seem like a detriment. The modern understanding of mental health means that more and more students can receive the same education as everyone else regardless of their differences. A piece of Mental Health Awareness is knowing how it impacts the lives of those who suffer and knowing how to help them rise above that suffering by working together.
The Scholarship Collective aims to be an ally of students with mental health struggles so we put together a list of scholarships for students that promote mental health. Here is a list of 10 scholarships worth applying for that promote mental health awareness:
1. JC Runyon Foundation Scholarship
JC Runyon Foundation provides financial assistance to students who have spent their emotional and financial resources overcoming behavioral health issues.
Due Date: March 4, 2024
Amount: Varies by Case
Eligibility: Undergraduate Student, University or Trade School Enrollment + proof of behavioral health treatment
2. JED’s Student Voice of Mental Health Award
JED’s Student Voice of Mental Health Award is an annual award honoring an undergraduate college student who is doing outstanding work to raise awareness for mental health issues, reduce prejudice around mental illness, and encourage help-seeking among their peers.
Due Date: March 1, 2024
Amount: $3,000
Eligibility: Undergraduate Student
3. Melanie Foundation Scholarship
Since 2009, The Melanie Foundation has awarded a scholarship in her name to an outstanding post-graduate student in the field of mental health. In addition, a portion of funds raised from each Saratoga Palio race were donated to local nonprofit organizations.
Due Date: March 5th, 2024
Amount: $2,500
Eligibility: Enrolled in a Graduate Program related to the study of Mental Health
4. AACAP Norbert and Charlotte Rieger Service Program Award for Excellence
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) aims to promote the healthy development of children, adolescents, and families through advocacy, education, and research, and to meet the professional needs of child and adolescent psychiatrists throughout their careers.
Due Date: April 17, 2024
Amount: $4,500
Eligibility: Graduate Student
5. Jared Monroe Foundation Scholarship
The Foundation Pools donors’ contributions and awards scholarships to students with a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder who are currently in treatment. The students may be graduating high school seniors, or freshmen, sophomores or juniors attending college. These awards can be used toward tuition, fees, books, and room & board.
Due Date: May 1, 2023
Amount: $500 to $2,300
Eligibility: Undergraduate student who has a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder with treatment
6. Addiction Awareness Scholarship by Seasons In Malibu
The aim of the scholarship is to bring attention as to why addiction, in various forms, is becoming more prevalent in our society and how can we address the issue of an increasing number of people dealing with addiction.
Due Date: Awarded semi-annually on May 31, 2023 and November 30, 2023
Amount: $1,500
Eligibility: High School, Undergraduate, or Graduate student who has a Personal Story about Addiction
7. Active Minds’ Emerging Scholars Nash Family Scholarship
Active Minds is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization supporting mental health awareness and education for young adults. It is dedicated to supporting a new generation in ending the silence, helping to make mental health as highly valued as physical health.
Due Date: February 2024
Amount: $15,000 per year for two years
Eligibility: Undergraduate Student
8. APF Violet and Cyril Franks Scholarship
The APF Violet and Cyril Franks Scholarship supports graduate-level scholarly projects that use a psychological perspective to help understand and reduce stigma associated with mental illness. The scholarship helps address research which shows that stigma is a significant barrier to treatment and recovery for many of the 50 million Americans living with mental illness.
Due Date: May 15, 2023
Amount: $1,000
Eligibility: Graduate Research
9. Microsoft Disability Scholarship
The Microsoft Disability Scholarship will be awarded to promising high school seniors with disabilities who plan to attend a vocational or academic college and target a career in the technology industry.
Due Date: March 1
Amount: $5,000, renewable up to 4 years
Eligibility: High School student
10. NSHSS Mental Health Awareness Scholarship
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as "a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community." The stigma surrounding mental illness has become far too common, but more and more individuals are speaking out and raising awareness on the issue. NSHSS wants to award students for their positive efforts in spreading awareness and affecting change regarding mental health.
Due Date: March 24
Amount: $2,000
Eligibility: High School and Undergraduates students
