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Help Remove Financial Barriers for Disabled Students Across Canada

Post-secondary education is costly — tuition, rent, food, and course materials. For many disabled and neurodivergent students, these baseline costs are compounded by essential, non-optional expenses. They often need to purchase and maintain assistive technology (e.g., wheelchairs, Braille displays), set up ergonomic desks or chairs for home use, and maintain reliable home internet and a personal laptop or tablet because campus computers often lack the assistive technologies they need. Many also incur expenses for software subscriptions (time-management supports, screen readers), medications, diagnostic assessments, and ongoing therapies—physiotherapy, massage, chiropractic care—and/or counselling that support day-to-day functioning. Housing can also cost more when an accessible unit or on-campus residence is required, and health-related diets significantly increase grocery bills. In addition, some must take lighter course loads or temporary leaves to manage health needs, adding extra semesters—or years—of tuition, fees, and living costs. Together, these expenses sit on top of the usual student debt and create severe financial stress, all while students are trying to stay enrolled and make progress toward their degrees. 

To mitigate these pressures, the National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) created its Financial Assistance Program (formerly the NEADS Student Awards Program), which provides funding to offset disability-related costs, reduce financial stress, and help students remain enrolled and progress toward degree completion.  

Support is available for: 

• Rent and housing 

• Food and groceries 

• Assistive technology and ergonomic equipment 

• Counselling, therapies (e.g., physiotherapy, chiropractic), prescription medications, and medical supplies 

• Learning supports such as tutoring, ADHD coaching, or diagnostic assessments 

• Computers, tablets, and internet access 

• Tuition fees 

Since the program began in 2007, NEADS has distributed over $1.35 million in financial assistance to 745 students. In 2024 alone, we received 910 applications—more than any previous year—demonstrating the continued and growing need for support. 

Impact: What Students Are Telling Us

Recipients report meaningful benefits: 

• 76% said the assistance helped them stay enrolled 

• 96% felt more confident about completing their program 

• 90% reported reduced financial stress 

• 85% reported improved mental health and well-being 

• 59% reduced work hours while studying 

• 65% avoided dropping classes due to financial constraints 

NEADS funding reaches students in every province and territory, across colleges, universities, CEGEPs, and professional programs at undergraduate and graduate levels. The program supports diverse disabilities—including mental health conditions, cognitive and learning disabilities, and mobility and sensory disabilities—and is committed to equity and intersectionality. Many recipients are members of equity-deserving communities, including 2SLGBTQIA+ students, racialized and Indigenous learners, mature students, and first-generation students. 

Why Your Gift Matters Now  

NEADS awarded only tuition scholarships from 2007 onward. In January 2024, we rebranded the program and introduced the need-specific $2,000 grants so we could support the many non-tuition costs disabled students face, through NEADS’ Virtual Access for All project under the Government of Canada’s Supports for Student Learning Program. That funding has concluded, leaving no grants currently available. 

We urgently need donor support to resume this vital resource so students can stay enrolled and meet essential costs.  

Help Build a Student’s $2,000 Grant 

Your contribution, large or small, becomes part of it and covers real needs. You don’t need to fund a full grant to make an impact; even a small portion of a grant can cover something essential. 

Examples of impact by gift size:

• $25: accessible transit to class, a field placement, or a medical appointment 

• $50: a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, a month of a software subscription, or a month of medical supplies (e.g., diabetes supplies) 

• $100: a chiropractic or massage therapy treatment, home internet for the month, or a prescription refill 

• $250: a month’s worth of groceries tailored to disability-related dietary needs, or purchasing an ergonomic chair/sit-stand desk 

• $500: one mental-health counselling session each month during the semester 

• $1,000: one month of rent in a wheelchair-accessible apartment near campus 

• $1,500: purchase or upgrade of a mobility aid (e.g., wheelchair or walker) 

Fund a Full $2,000 Grant 

A $2,000 contribution funds an entire NEADS grant. Donors who sponsor a full grant—either with a one-time gift or through monthly donations—can dedicate their support to a focus area (e.g., province, students studying at a specific post-secondary institution, field of study, or type of disability). Monthly gifts are tracked cumulatively; once your donations reach $2,000, your gift is recognized as a full grant with the same decision privileges (e.g., $250 for 8 months; $100 for 20 months). 

Sponsoring a full grant also makes a great group initiative for workplaces, teams, student clubs, or community groups—pool contributions toward a single $2,000 target and receive the same dedication options and impact update once awarded. NEADS will then match your sponsored grant to an eligible student whose application best aligns with your chosen focus and share a short update highlighting the difference your generosity made. 

Donate now — every dollar is 100% tax deductible, and a tax receipt will be provided for your gift. 

Your support helps more disabled students continue their education without unnecessary financial barriers. 

Frank Smith
National Coordinator National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS)
Rm. 514 Unicentre, Carleton University
Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6

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