Financial Aid and Scholarships

SCHOLARSHIPS

The WSA has several scholarship funds. Scholarships are provided annually to families and individuals with WS based on financial need. Funding is provided for camps, conventions, post-secondary, transition and life skills programs, and music lessons. We also have a medical treatment assistance program.

Scholarships for camps are decided by April 1 of each year. Contact the main office at info@williams-syndrome.org for information about scholarship opportunities.

Scholarships are currently available for:

• Post-secondary/transition and life skills programs for adults with WS
• National Convention
• Camp and enrichment programs
• Chloe Reisig Memorial Scholarship Fund Application (Music lessons and musical instruments)

SPECIALIZED TREATMENT ASSISTANCE

Specialized Treatment Fund: funding assistance for specialized therapies, expert medical care, and neuropsychological evaluations provided by professionals who understand Williams syndrome. The WSA’s Specialized Treatment Fund will provide:

• Travel and lodging assistance for specialized treatments and surgery: to help ensure that families can secure the best medical and surgical treatment for their child, regardless of location.
• Specialized therapeutic evaluations for young children: to help ensure that families of children who need more support than what is offered by a local early intervention agency or school system will have the professional reports needed to secure those services.
• Private psychological evaluations: specialized evaluations by professionals who will administer the testing needed to show the true cognitive profile of a student with WS can sometimes be the only way to get the attention of a resistant school system and ensure that they provide the “right” services for school-aged children with WS. These evaluations are costly and often financially out of reach for families.
• Funeral expenses: when the unimaginable happens and a child with WS is lost, a family’s grief should not be compounded further by the financial burden of burial. WSA members are family and if WSA can help, just as every family does in the time of great need, we want to do so.

Applications may be submitted by email, fax, or postal mail, provided that all required attachments are included.

Awards are made on a rolling basis. Award amounts will be determined by financial need.