Scholarships for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Financial aid and scholarships to families of children who are deaf and hard of hearing seeking educational opportunities and support services.

Children of the Silent World

After their child lost her hearing at the age of 3, this family set up “Children of the Silent World” to help others in our situation. Here is what is stated on their website: “We decided that we wanted to do something for all of the other Children of the Silent World. We wanted to help these little children have a chance to hear again with the Cochlear Implant. We also provide American Sign Language classes for the families, friends, and neighbors of the hearing impaired. Our instructors go to their homes and churches and work around the schedules of those who need the classes.”

 

Children of the Silent World
P.O. Box 2425
Cridersville, Oh. 45806

http://www.metroevents.com/silent/

Civic and Service Organizations:

Many community service organizations receive charitable donations to purchase hearing aids and other devices for people who are deaf or hard of hearing and have a low income. Organizations often recondition hearing aids and donate them to these individuals. Many of these organizations listed below are in your telephone directory; as well, your Local Chamber of Commerce might contain a list of contacts. Examples of organizations that may assist in hearing aid funding are: Jaycees; St. Vincent dePaul chapters; Goodwill Industries; National Easter Seals Society; March of Dimes; Telephone Pioneers of America; Kiwanis Club; Rotary Club; Optimist Club; and Granges

Cochlear Implant Assistance Program

In the spring of 2003, the Center for Hearing took on the task of helping patients and families who are financially-challenged obtain this life-enriching device by establishing the Cochlear Implant Assistance Program (CIAP). Through a cooperative effort of device manufacturers and volunteer medical professionals, this new program is able to assist qualified candidates needing cochlear implants. To date, CIAP has fielded over 100 inquiries and awarded cochlear implants to several qualified candidates. While CIAP receives and awards no-charge implants, patients are still responsible for other costs associated with the procedure (physician, hospital, surgical, and audiological fees). CIAP will make every effort to request that implant teams reduce or waive their fees, however patients are ultimately responsible for any charges not waived. The average out-of-pocket cost for candidates who receive an implant through CIAP is approximately $15,000.

The supply of cochlear implants for this program is limited. CNI Center for Hearing's Cochlear Implant Assistance Program will submit a request to the manufacturer for an implant only if a completed application is approved by CIAP. Availability of the cochlear implant will then be determined at the discretion of the manufacturer.

CNI Cochlear Implant Assistance Program Eligibility Criteria

1. Applications will be considered only if the candidate is a permanent legal resident of the United States . In the case of applicants who are under 18 years of age at the time of their application, the legal guardians must show proof of permanent, legal US residence.
2. Applicants must to be evaluated and determined to be a candidate for a cochlear implant (CI) prior to applying to this Assistance Program.
3. CI candidates, including those without insurance or those whose insurance does not cover cochlear implants, are eligible to apply.
4. To ensure that potential coverage by an insurance carrier has been ruled out prior to the application being forwarded to the committee for review, all applications will be reviewed by a qualified cochlear implant reimbursement specialist.
5. Applicants must seek assistance from this program prior to obtaining their cochlear implant. Applications for reimbursement following the cochlear implant procedure will not be considered.
6. All applicants must provide all required attachments and documentation with their completed applications before being considered for this Assistance Program. Applicants will be contacted if incomplete applications are received and will be given a maximum of 6 months in which to submit all required documents. Failure to provide all materials within 6 months will result in the application being classified as inactive and discarded. If an applicant later wishes to be reinstated for consideration, all paperwork must be re-submitted under the guidelines in place at that time.
7. Pre and post-linguistically deafened pediatric applicants and pre-linguistically deafened adult applicants must demonstrate a commitment to appropriate therapy that promotes auditory skill development or their application for assistance will not be considered. A letter of support from the applicant's cochlear implant center verifying the applicant's level of commitment must accompany the application.
8. Applications may be considered from applicants who already have a cochlear implant if the applicant is attempting to cover the cost of replacement of a failed internal device. However, attempts to cover the expense of a replacement prothesis by other means must be exhausted prior to consideration for assistance from this program. Other means may include investigating replacement of the device under the manufacturer's warranty and/or requesting financial assistance from device manufacturers for un-reimbursed medical expenses. In some cases, the applicant's insurance company's decision may need to be appealed.
9. Applications will not be accepted from recipients who are seeking assistance with replacing their cochlear implant's external equipment. Applicants with this need are encouraged to check with their insurance carriers for potential coverage. If the insurance carriers deny the request, applicants should work with their CI centers which in turn should work with the CI manufacturers' reimbursement departments. Intervention from the reimbursement departments may be needed to ensure that insurance carriers are educated on both the nature of the CI and the need for associated equipment.
10. Applications for a bilateral implant will not be accepted.
    Eligibility criteria are re-evaluated every 6 months and may be modified more frequently if needed.

Cochlear Implant Assistance Program
Colorado Neurological Institute
701 East Hampden Ave., Suite 330
Englewood , CO 80113

http://www.thecni.org/hearing/assistance.htm

Application for funding from the CIAP (pdf - 8 pages).

Disabled Children's Relief Fund

Disabled Children's Relief Fund (DCRF), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, provides disabled children with assistance to obtain wheelchairs, orthopedic braces, walkers, lifts, hearing aids, eyeglasses, medical equipment, physical therapy, and surgery. Blind, Deaf, Amputees, and children with Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Spastic Quadriplegia, Encephalitis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Spina Bifida, Down's Syndrome, and other disabilities receive assistance. DCRF focuses special attention on helping children throughout the U.S. that do not have adequate health insurance, especially the physically challenged. In some cases, DCRF may be the last resort

Applications are available between April and September, by writing to:

Disabled Children's Relief Fund
P.O. Box 89
Freeport , New York 11520

Easter Seals

Easter Seals Nebraska, as part of a cooperative agreement with the Assistive Technology Partnership and First National Bank of Omaha , is able to offer alternative financing to qualifying Nebraskans with disabilities. These funds are available at a low interest rate, and specifically set for the purpose of purchasing approved equipment, assistive technology devices, and services.

The Alternative Financing Loan Programs address two initiatives:

• Nebraska Alternative Financing Program * provides low or reduced interest loans to qualified Nebraskans with disabilities for the purchase of assistive technology devices and assistive technology services. This includes, but is not limited to: wheelchairs, motorized scooters, Braille equipment, scanners, hearing aids, augmentative communication systems, environmental control units, computers, adaptive computer peripherals, building modifications for accessibility, motor vehicle modifications for accessibility, and motor vehicles requiring modifications for accessibility (where the value of the vehicle is greater than the cost of the modifications).

• Nebraska Telework Loan Program provides low or reduced interest loans to qualified Nebraskans with disabilities for the purchase of equipment and services necessary for securing Telework opportunities from home or other permanent remote sites. This includes but is not limited to: computers, printers, software, fax machines, scanners, office machines, telecommunication devices, telecommunication system installation charges, office furniture, home modifications for accessibility and/or to create home offices, motor vehicles, and other technology.

You can reach Easter Seals Nebraska at:

Easter Seals Nebraska
638 North 109th Plaza
Omaha, NE 68154-1722

402-345-2200 (voice)
402-345-2500 (fax) 638
800-650-9880 (toll-free)

First Hand Foundation

In order to be considered for funding, the following criteria must be fulfilled.

1. The child must be under the care of a pediatrician
2. The case must involve a specific child with a specific need
3. The grant request must be clinically relevant to the health of the child
4. There must be no existing financial net (such as Medicaid or private insurance) to cover the requested expenses.
5. The case must be in a proactive stage. An application for debt reduction for expenses already incurred will not be considered for First Hand Foundation funding.
6. Because First Hand believes in empowering the families it helps, the families must do their own legwork in seeking medical advice and treatment for their children. First Hand provides its support by funding the procedures and equipment recommended by experts. First Hand partners with other organizations to help the same child, to maximize the impact of its funding.

Types of Expenses Covered

• Treatment: Expenses associated with clinical procedures, medicine, therapy, prosthesis, etc.
• Equipment: Expenses associated with wheelchairs, assistive technology equipment, van modifications, care devices, hearing aids, etc.
• Displacement: Expenses associated with families of seriously ill children who must travel away from their home during treatment – lodging, food, gas, parking, and transportation
• Vehicle: Expenses associated with vehicle modifications, lifts, ramps and transfer boards.

Funding Process

1. The Case Manager will review the application to determine if any additional information is needed.
2. Once all necessary information is obtained, the application will be presented to the Clinical Decision-Committee.
3. The Committee is comprised of Cerner associates, and meeting are held once a month.
4. After the committee has reviewed the submitted materials from each case, a decision will be made.
5. The Case Manager will be responsible for follow-up.

First Hand is a non-profit, 501 (c)(3) organization supported by the generosity of Cerner Corporation, its associates, its business partners, and friends. The Foundation assists individual children who have clinical, health-related needs and no financial safety net to cover these expenses. By focusing on the individual child, First Hand reaches children and their families who would otherwise fall through the cracks of insurance coverage and state aid. The Foundation strives to provide assistance that creates independence, rather than dependence for its recipients.

Application for funding from the First Hand Foundation (pdf-2 pages) is found below:

HEAR NOW... Providing the Gift of Hearing (Starkey Foundation)

HEAR NOW assists individuals who are residents of the United States and qualify under the National Poverty Guidelines for assistance. Put simply: HEAR NOW is a domestic assistance program for people who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford hearing aids. The work of HEAR NOW is supported through the contributions of its many benefactors. HEAR NOW receives no government funding. All donations – monetary, time and hearing aids – allow the HEAR NOW program to survive and provide the gift of hearing.

Since 1995, HEAR NOW has provided more than 65,000 children and adults with hearing aids when they otherwise wouldn't have been able to afford them. It is truly awesome to help a man keep his job so he can support his family; to help a grandmother hear the precious voice of a grandchild; to assist a young mother hear her baby cry; and to make learning possible for a child in school.

HEAR NOW
6700 Washington Avenue South
Eden Prairie , MN 55344
1-800-648-4327

http://www.sotheworldmayhear.org/hearnow/

Application for funding from the HEAR NOW (pdf.-12 pages) can be found below:

 

HIKE Fund

HIKE is a very special endowment fund, created in 1986 by the Job's Daughters International to provide hearing and/or assistive listening devices to children in need - Kids Helping Kids. Job's Daughters International is an organization for young women between the ages of ten and twenty who are related to a Master Mason.

Children under the age of twenty who have been identified as 1) having a need for a hearing aid or an assistive listening device and 2) having a financial need can benefit from HIKE. Applicants with a documented hearing loss are considered without regard to sex, race, religion, color, or creed. Each application is weighed on its own merit, and the application requires a letter from the applicant's family which is an important part of the application. Considerations include family income, size of household, burdensome medical expenses for the applicant, and the cost of the hearing technology requested.

Funds raised for HIKE are collected almost entirely by young women across the United States who are members of Job's Daughters - there are no salaried fund raisers!

For Information and Application Form (2/05)
Please contact:

The HIKE Fund, Inc.
c/o Mrs. Shirley Terrill, HIKE Board Secretary
10115 Cherryhill Pl
Spring Hill, FL 34608-7116
E-mail: ceterrill1@aol.com

http://www.thehikefund.org/

Kids Connection

Kids Connection is health care coverage for qualified children developed by the State of Nebraska . It includes both the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and the Nebraska Medical Assistance Program (also know as Medicaid).

Kids Connection provides well care for your chid in helping to prevent diseases, finding and treating problems early, and maintaining good health and development.

Regular check-ups include:

• baby checkups and immunizations
• immunizations for school-age children
• yearly checkups for school-age children, including school and sports physicals
• dental check-ups and dental sealants
• vision and hearing testing

Your child's eligibility to have health coverage through Kids connection is based primarily on your family's income.

Children may be eligible:

• if they are under age 19
• if they live in Nebraska
• even if both parent live at home
• even if one or both parents work full-time
• even if their family already has some type of health insurance*

*When you apply for Kids Connection, your children will be evaluated for enrollment based on your income. Some programs under Kids Connection are not available to children who have health insurance.

 

Number of family members (include parents & children)	Adjusted Monthly Income	Adjusted Annual Income
1	$1,476	$17,712
2	$1,980	$23,760
3	$2,481	$29,772
4	$2,984	$35,808
5	$3,487	$41,844
6	$3,989	$47,868
For each additional person add:	$504	$6,048

Kids Connection Application English (pdf - 2pages)

Solicitud de Kids Connection (pdf-5 pages)

Lions Club

In 1925, Lions accepted the challenge posed by Helen Keller ( who became blind and deaf in childhood) to help persons who are deaf as well as those who are blind.

Services provided by Lions clubs for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing include:

• hearing awareness
• hearing screenings
• communications aids for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing
• recreational camps for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing
• support for the Deaf or hard of hearing community

In 2002-03, Lions donated more than US$4.3 million and volunteered more than 292,000 hours to hearing-related service projects. Lions are invited to share news of their successful service projects for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Lions clubs often provide communications aids for deaf and hard of hearing persons in the community. These aids include:

• sign language
• hearing devices
• hearing dogs

Sign Language

Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing can use many different methods of oral and written communications.

• Sign language
• Gesturing
• Finger spelling
• Speech reading
• Speech
• Reading
• Writing
• Graphics

Various sign language formats are used throughout the world. In the United States and parts of Canada , American Sign Language (ASL) is used among persons who are deaf. The grammatical structure of ASL is different from the grammatical structure of English. British Sign Language (BSL) is used in England .

International sign language (previously known as Gestuno) is used by participants of the World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf. This language features elements from various sign languages around the world.

Lions can serve those who use sign language by:

• sponsoring community-based sign language classes;
• providing scholarships for deaf persons who want to attend sign-language classes;
• providing scholarships for persons studying to become teachers of sign-language;
• arranging for the participation of deaf persons in vocational training programs;
• providing sign-language interpreters for deaf persons who require assistance during meetings with lawyers or doctors.

Hearing Devices

Lions clubs often collect used hearing aids. These devices are then reconditioned and redistributed.

Hearing Dogs

Lions clubs provide support to schools that raise and train service dogs for the deaf.

Lions Clubs International does not endorse any particular assistance dog facility. Information about assistance dog facilities is compiled and shared with Lions and the general public. For information, contact the Program Development Department at executiveservices@lionsclubs.org .

These specialized service dogs are trained to alert their owners to everyday sounds such as: the cry of a baby; an alarm clock; a doorbell; a telephone; and a smoke detector alarm. Upon hearing the sound, the dog leads the owner to the source of the sound.

LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
300 W 22ND ST
OAK BROOK IL 60523-8842

http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/content/programs_hear.shtml

Medically Handicapped Children's Program

This Program provides access to specialty evaluations that provide a diagnosis and medical treatment plan prior to the family making a financial application. The evaluations may be provided with select specialty providers and/or one of the specialty clinics for children and youth.

Specialty clinics for children and youth are teams which consist of specialty physicians, nutritionists, nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, psychologist, dentists, speech and hearing pathologists, and the family. The teams meet all at one time and in one place. Team membership depends upon the particular medical conditions being reviewed. The most important member of the teams is the family. Teams provide diagnosis of the medical concerns and problems, a written plan of treatment, and access to all the team members at one time and place.

The Program can provide services for the following and other congenital and severe conditions:
The Program's medical director reviews the medical information and makes the eligibility decision.

• Asthma -- severe and persistent.

• Orthopedic conditions -- including scoliosis, rheumatoid arthritis, club foot, bow legs, leg length discrepancy and fractures that have not healed properly and have become chronic conditions.

• Eye conditions -- which may be corrected through surgery.

• Hearing loss which is severe.

• Hemophilia

• Major medical -- A ‘catch all' term which includes many congenital and chronic conditions including: acute severe burns, neurological conditions, ill premature births, urology, Addison's disease,Turner's syndrome, sickle cell disease, hypothyroidism, esophageal strictures, imperforate anus, Hirschprungs, disease growth hormone deficiency, and other conditions.

• Neoplasm -- cancers, tumors, lymphoma and leukemia.

• Other conditions which may be severe and chronic and/or congenital.

Nebraska Department of
Health and Human Services
P.O. Box 95044
Lincoln , NE 68509 -5044
(402) 471-2306

Local Service Contacts
Broken Bow: (308) 872-6700
Grand Island : 1-800-892-7922, Local: (308) 385-6123
Gering: 1-800-477-6393, Local (308) 632-0380
Lincoln : 1-877-213-4754, Local (402) 471-5308 or 5379
Norfolk : 1-800-782-8844, Local (402) 370-3166 or 3131
North Platte : 1-800-782-8844, Local (308) 535-8238
Omaha : (402) 595-2120
Crete : 1-800-557-8511, Local (402) 826-2196

Miracle-Ear® Children's Foundation

Miracle-Ear® Children's Foundation provides free hearing aids and services to children from low-income families.

For Hearing Aid Fitting Applications

To receive assistance through the Children's Foundation, the child must be:

• A resident of the United States .
• 16 years old or younger and have a hearing loss that requires amplification.
• In possession of an audiogram and medical clearance dated within the last 6 months.
• In a family with an income level which does not allow the family to receive public support. $20,000-$45,000 gross.
• In a family committed to intervention, rehabilitation, and necessary follow-up services as the child grows.

Applications will be sent to U.S. addresses only. The name and address of the child's parent or guardian are required for application requests. Supplemental contact information (phone numbers and email addresses) may also be helpful in turning around information requests.

You may also request information by calling the Miracle-Ear ® Children's Foundation directly at 1-800-234-5422.

http://www.miracle-ear.com/resources/children_request.asp

Sertoma Hearing Aid Bank

Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing will receive applications to determine the need. If it is determined that the applicant has no other financial means to purchase an aid, the Sertoma Hearing Aid Bank will assist them in obtaining an aid.

History Of The Sertoma Hearing Aid Bank

The Sertoma Clubs of Nebraska, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Speech and Hearing Clinic, and the Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (NCDHH) collect, repair and distribute hearing aids to persons 65 years and older who do not have the financial means to purchase an aid. Many Nebraskans have been served since the program began in 1981.

Donita Mains

200 South Silber Room 207
North Platte, NE 69101-4298
(308) 535-6600 v/tty
Fax: (308) 535-8175
Toll Free: 1-888-713-3118 v/tty

Application for funding from Sertoma (pdf- 2 pages) below:

 

TPA Scholarship Trust for the Deaf and Near Deaf

In 1975 the Travelers Protective Association of America (TPA) established a scholarship trust for the deaf and near deaf. The intent and purposes of the trust are the giving of financial aid or assistance to residents of the United States or its possessions who suffer deafness or hearing impairment and who will benefit from medical, mechanical or specialized treatment, or special education and who are unable to provide funds therefor for themselves.

Application for charitable assistance must be submitted on the approved trust application form by an adult, or if a minor, by the person having legal custody of the candidate.

The selection and amount of aid granted to a candidate shall be decided by the majority of the full Board of Trustees or the full Trust Executive Committee.

The trust is supported by gifts, bequests, and devises that are obtained from individuals, businesses, trusts, corporations, other entities, and from accretion of investment of the trust's funds. Because of the limited funds available, financial aid is usually a one-time nonrecurring disbursement.

At present distributions are issued from accretions of investments from the trusts funds.

Applicants demonstrating the greatest financial need are given preference regardless of race, creed or sex.

For further information concerning the trust:

TPA Scholarship Trust
Board of Trustees
3755 Lindell Blvd.
St. Louis , MO 63108

Applications are available through your teacher of the deaf or hard of hearing in January. Please contact this person or your regional program to get more information.