Scholarships

Paying for college is hard. However, there are scholarships available for students with intellectual disability who want to go to college. This resource was created to help families and others locate scholarship money to help pay for college. There are scholarships listed that any student is eligible for, and many that are for students with specific disabilities. The information included in this document is up-to-date as of February 2026. The information will be reviewed and updated every year.

The Grants for Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (ID Grant) program provides financial assistance to eligible Minnesota resident students with intellectual and developmental disabilities who attend eligible Minnesota postsecondary institutions. The grant program was established in fiscal year 2018.

As students and their families look at college options, the question of how to pay for it is on everyone’s mind. No one solution is going to work for all students, so this webinar shares information on several funding options that students and families can explore, such as Vocational Rehabilitation, Medicaid, scholarships, federal student aid, Veteran’s benefits, and ABLE accounts. Details of each funding source are shared, as well as an overview of the conditions under which available funding possibilities may be an option.

The mission of Ruby's Rainbow is to grant scholarships to adults with Down syndrome who are seeking postsecondary education, enrichment, or vocational classes. It is their goal to create awareness of the capabilities of these amazing individuals and help them achieve their dreams of higher education.   

Grants for Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (ID Grant) was established by the 2017 Minnesota Legislature (Minnesota Statutes 136A.1215. ID Grant provides financial assistance for postsecondary students with intellectual and developmental disabilities to pay for tuition and fees of Comprehensive Transition & Postsecondary (CTP) programs at eligible Minnesota postsecondary institutions.