College students are seeking more mental health assistance than ever before. One oft-quoted statistic that today’s high school students have the same levels of anxiety as a psychiatric patient in the 1950s. If you have a mental health condition, you may already be struggling to financially survive, much less paying for school. We’ll show you how mental illness can impact your success (for better and worse) and where you can find funding to ease financial strain.
Unfortunately, mental illness can make it difficult to work, and that can also make it harder to pay for school. In this post, we’ll teach you about mental health struggles in college, why they shouldn’t preclude you from graduating, and how to access funding and support to ensure you succeed.
Don’t Let Mental Illness Stop You From Pursuing Your Dreams!
The Growing Mental Health Crisis
In Spring 2017, almost 40 percent of college students said they felt too depressed to function sometime in the previous school year, and 61 percent said they felt “overwhelming anxiety.” The number of students visiting counseling centers grew around five times faster than enrollment levels.
That’s a problem.
Schools are attempting to help by making more resources available to students, but it isn’t as easy as just providing access to therapists and calling it a day. Every student’s experience is unique, and that often means that the approach needs to be unique, too.
Why Just Not Going Isn’t the Right Answer
Research tells us that graduating is immensely beneficial, and the benefits may be especially powerful to students with mental illness. These benefits start with making more money, but that isn’t where they end. Graduates have better physical health, enjoy healthier family dynamics, and just might even liver longer, making them more impervious to a mental or physical health crisis.
You Need the Right Funding and Support
Now, here’s the catch: it isn’t enough to just register and hope for the best. Being in that environment can be extremely frustrating and stressful if you’re trying to wing it without the right supports.
Think of it this way: if you were going skydiving, you wouldn’t just jump out of a plane without a parachute and knowing how to use, would you? Having a support network, funding, therapy, and special accommodations, is like your “parachute.” You deploy it as needed to reduce stress, keep yourself afloat, and prevent yourself from experiencing a crisis.
Scholarships for Students with Mental Illness
Alright, you’re feeling motivated. Now, what?
There are a few scholarships available to help you pay for school that are specifically targeted to individuals who struggle with mental health.
Baer Reintegration Scholarships – The Baer Reintegration Scholarship services students with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or schizoaffective disorder. You can apply for up to $1,000 on this scholarship here.
Promises Treatment Center – Promises is experienced in treating inpatient and outpatient mental health sufferers, but they also know how important it is to have the right support for life. That’s why they offer students the opportunity to apply for up to $6,000 in scholarships for almost any college tuition.
FAFSA and Pell Grants – Having an intractable mental illness means you qualify as disabled under the eyes of the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you fill out your FAFSA and disclose your disability, you may be entitled to access special grants and scholarships,. This includes regularly accessible scholarships and scholarships for students with disabilities.
Don’t forget that schools are often very happy to offer additional support to students with mental illness. This includes special accommodations, extra time on exams, or even access to counseling and therapy during a potential crisis. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help early, and often. Your support network will help you succeed.
