NewChangedDeadline passed
NationalVery competitive
NEADS Financial Assistance Program (formerly NEADS National Student Awards)
National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS)
- Amount
- $1,000 to $10,000Fall 2026: two AMI Robert Pearson Memorial Scholarships of $5,000 (one Francophone, one Anglophone), one Connor, Clark & Lunn Financial Group Scholarship of $5,000 (Business, Economics or STEM), and one $1,000 Holly Bartlett Memorial Award. The $10,000 Canada Post Award and $1,000 Christine Nieder Memorial Award are offered in other intakes. The former $2,000 needs-based grants are paused.
- Deadline
- Oct 16, 2026Fall 2026 intake closes Friday, October 16, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. ET and is for students currently enrolled full time. Different awards are offered in different semesters. The page says high school students must already be accepted to apply, but applicants must also be enrolled when awards are made, so most Grade 12 students will apply in a later intake once they start college or university.
Go to the official page (opens in a new tab)
Always confirm the details there before applying.
About this award
NEADS offers a small number of national scholarships and awards for college and university students with disabilities through one central application. Awards range from $1,000 to $10,000, and different awards are offered in different semesters. Applicants must be enrolled full time, and selection considers financial need.
Who can apply
- Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- Living with a permanent, persistent or prolonged disability
- Enrolled full time at a post-secondary institution (40% course load counts as full time)
- Current high school students must already be accepted to apply
- Selection considers financial need and, for some awards, academics, community involvement and advocacy
- Emphasis is placed on students with disabilities who belong to one or more systemically disadvantaged groups, such as Indigenous, Black or racialized students, 2SLGBTQI+ students, women and gender diverse students in STEM, and first or second generation Canadians
What to submit
- One central online application
Quick facts
Words you'll see- Type
- Scholarship
- Category
- Identity-based and Financial need
- Program
- University and College
- When to apply
- After starting post-secondary
- Where it applies
- National, Canada
- For
- Students with a disability
- The gap between what school costs and what your family is expected to pay. Bursaries and grants often use it.
- Yes
- Paid again in later years of your program, as long as you keep meeting its rules, such as a minimum average.
- No, one-time
- Application cycle
- 2026-27
Sources
Last checked against the official site on Oct 2, 2026.
- https://fap.neads.ca/(opens in a new tab)
- https://www.neads.ca/en/about/media/index.php?id=1490(opens in a new tab)
What the official pages say
"Deadline: Friday, October 16, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time"
https://www.neads.ca/en/about/media/index.php?id=1490(opens in a new tab)"is now accepting applications for the Fall 2026 semester of the NEADS Financial Assistance Program"
https://www.neads.ca/en/about/media/index.php?id=1490(opens in a new tab)"Current high school students must be accepted in order to apply."
https://fap.neads.ca/(opens in a new tab)"Applicants must be living with a permanent, persistent or prolonged disability."
https://fap.neads.ca/(opens in a new tab)"Canada Post Award (1 at $10,000)."
https://fap.neads.ca/(opens in a new tab)"Holly Bartlett Memorial Award (1 at $1,000)"
https://fap.neads.ca/(opens in a new tab)"The extent of their financial need."
https://fap.neads.ca/(opens in a new tab)"Applicants must be currently enrolled at a post-secondary institution as a full-time student."
https://fap.neads.ca/(opens in a new tab)"Emphasis will be placed on students living with disabilities who belong to one or more systemically disadvantaged groups"
https://www.neads.ca/en/about/media/index.php?id=1490(opens in a new tab)
If anything here disagrees with the official page, trust the official page. How awards are checked · Report a problem with this award