The Organization for Autism Research’s scholarship program awards $3,000 scholarships to students across the autism spectrum. We are pleased to invite applications from persons with an autism diagnosis (DSM-IV or later criteria) pursuing full-time, post-secondary, education in any of the following: four-year undergraduate college or university, two-year undergraduate college, trade school, technical school, vocational school, or cooperative life skills program.

Since 2007, the OAR Scholarship Program has awarded a total of $2,013,000 to 690 highly deserving autistic students.

Eligibility

• Any individual with an established autism diagnosis and who will be attending an accredited post-secondary institution of higher education in the United States for the Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 semesters is eligible to apply. However, students who have already received a bachelor’s degree are not eligible, and the scholarships do not support graduate or postgraduate studies.
• Eligible individuals need to be accepted for enrollment or enrolled on a full-time basis (minimum 6 credits) or be working toward certification or accreditation in a particular field (e.g., studying to be a paralegal, chef, etc.). Past recipients of an OAR scholarship or immediate family members of any person serving on OAR’s Board of Directors or Scientific Council are not eligible to apply.
• For the Synchrony Scholarship for Autistic Students of Color, only applicants from underrepresented racial/ethnic backgrounds are eligible to apply. This includes applicants who are Black/African American, Indigenous (Native American, Native Alaskan), Hispanic/Latino, Asian American/Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern/North African, or Multiracial.

Scholarship Amount: $3000 (32 awards)

Application Deadline: April 20, 2026