American Association on Health and Disability Scholarship

The Frederick J. Krause Scholarship on Health and Disability recognizes students with disabilities who are working to advance the broad field of disability and health.

The mission of the American Association on Health and Disability (AAHD) is to contribute to national, state, and local efforts to promote health and wellness in people with disabilities and identify effective intervention strategies that reduce health disparities between people with disabilities and the general population. AAHD accomplishes its mission through research, education and advocacy at the national, state and community level. As part of our work, we are pleased to offer the annual Frederick J. Krause Scholarship on Health and Disability to students with disabilities majoring in public health, disability studies, health promotion or a field related to disability and health. Learn more about the legacy of Frederick J. Krause.

Scholarship Program Criteria

The AAHD Frederick J. Krause Scholarship on Health and Disability is awarded annually to deserving students with a disability who are pursuing undergraduate or graduate studies in an accredited university. This scholarship recognizes students pursuing studies related to health and disability, particularly majors that will impact the quality of life of persons with disabilities.

• Undergraduate Applicants: Must be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student and must have completed one full year of college or more. In other words, the applicant must have sophomore or greater status in a program at a college or university pursuing their degree.
• Graduate Applicants: May be enrolled part-time or full-time in a graduate school, pursuing a postgraduate degree.
• Important: applicants who have not yet graduated from high school will not be considered. High school students entering college, for the first time, in the fall are NOT eligible to apply. The only exception would be for high school students who have achieved sophomore status via high school AP course credits.
• Applicant must have a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act and must provide documentation to verify this.
• Preference will be given to students majoring in public health, health promotion, disability studies, disability research, rehabilitation engineering, audiology, disability policy, special education, or other fields related to disability and health.
• Preference will be given to students with a history of community service and/or volunteer activities.
• Applicant must be a US citizen or legal resident living in the United States and enrolled in an accredited United States university.
• Those who serve on the Disability and Health Journal Editorial Board are not eligible for the AAHD Scholarship.

Funding Information and Application Requirements

Scholarships are generally for $1,000 but amounts are at the discretion of the AAHD Board of Directors Scholarship Committee and based on availability of funds. The Scholarship Committee will evaluate each of the applicants and will determine how many scholarships will be awarded each year and the amount of each scholarship. 

Interested applicants must provide:

• Personal Statement (maximum 2 pages, double-spaced), including a brief personal history, educational/career goals, extra-curricular activities, community service, and reasons why they should be selected by the AAHD Scholarship Committee. This statement must be written solely by the applicant.
• One (1) Letter of Recommendation from a faculty member or academic advisor. Letters should include the signature of the teacher or advisory who wrote the letter. The name of the student should appear clearly on the document.
• Transcript. Provide an official or unofficial copy of the most recent college transcript.
• Verification of their disability status with documentation of their disability from a specialist (physician, educator, et. al).
• Agreement to allow AAHD to use his/her name, photo and/or story in future scholarship materials.