What is the purpose of the Scholarship Program?
The primary purpose of this program is to provide funding assistance for Tennesseans with disabilities and/or their family members to help defray costs of attending conferences, workshops and special events that provide disability-related educational information and resources.
What is NOT COVERED by the Scholarship Program?
The program is specific to activities as described above. The program does not provide funding for college, schools, recreation, sports activities or camps. Nor does the program provide funds for medical, therapeutic or other services.
Who can apply for the program?
Persons with disabilities and/or parents, guardians or family members may apply for funding supports to attend a specific educational conference, event or activity that will benefit the individual(s) with disabilities in your family.
Can organizations or groups apply for the program?
Only individuals/single households may apply through this initiative.
How are funds allocated and distributed?
This is a reimbursement-based program. When you submit your application, an Allocations Committee will review your application and, if approved, you will receive notification of the amount you have been allocated. You must retain receipts for all approved expenses related to your travel. After you have attended the activity, you can turn in your receipts for reimbursement.
What are specific examples of costs that may be supported?
The fund may cover items such as conference registration fees, air fare or mileage, lodging, meals, and other direct costs. Persons with disabilities who apply may include travel costs for a personal assistant or driver, as needed. Parents of children with disabilities may include costs of child or respite care during the period they are away from home for the event.
How many people can travel under an approved application?
In most cases, the approval will cover cost of travel for the person with a disability plus one person identified as a personal assistant or driver. In the case of travel on behalf of children, two parents may be covered for travel under the authorization. In limited cases, travel costs may include more than two family members who attend or participate.
Are there limits to the amounts of fund approved?
Yes, this is a small program funded by the State of Tennessee, TN Council on Developmental Disabilities. The goal is to serve as many people as possible to attend a variety of activities. Allocations are limited by the total funds available and the amount of each funding request. We also consider the number of people who apply for specific events, as well as diverse areas of the State that are represented in our allocations. The Allocations Committee reserves the right to fully fund, partially fund, or decline to fund any application. The allocation may not cover the entire cost of your travel and other expenses. You may decide to accept or decline the funding allocation, based on whether you believe you can afford any additional non-covered expenses. Funding allocations typically do not exceed $500 per indivdiual or $1000 for two or more individuals.
What is the funding period for the program?
The program is funded annually on the basis of Tennessee’s fiscal year, which begins on July 1 and ends on June 30 of each year. The application process for activities taking places in the fiscal year starting in July begins on April 1 of each year. The earlier you apply, the greater your chances of receiving an approval.
What happens when all the funds have been allocated for the current fiscal year?
If all funds have been allocated, you will be notified that there is no available funding at the time of your application. There are situations where one or more approved beneficiaries do not use all or part of their allocation. When previously allocated funds are released, they are reallocated to the next approved applicant for events in the upcoming months.
Ready to Begin your Application?
This is an online application. If you have all the information needed, it should take less than 20 minutes to complete. You can download a pdf with the questions as listed on the application. We recommend that you download the pdf first so you can gather everything you need to enter your application online.
CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
I have a different question about the program, or I need other help with the application. Who do I contact?
Contact: Claressa Ham
UCP Scholarship Program
P.O. Box 10996
Murfreesboro, TN 37129
Scholarship@ucpnashville.org
Phone 615-796-3341