McBurney scholarship deadline is April 15

General scholarship applications for the McBurney Disability Resource Center are due April 15 for disabled students seeking financial aid for the next academic year, 2012-2013.

The McBurney Center offers these scholarships to assist and advance the education of students with disabilities. With a variety of scholarships available, students have the opportunity to be recognized and supported in their academic endeavors.

This year, Cathy Trueba, the center’s director, introduced the McBurney Center’s newest award. The award honors the memory of real estate faculty member, Jim Graaskamp.

“Professor Graaskamp, or the ‘Chief’ as he was called by his students, was known for his dedication to his students and his commitment to creating opportunity for students from all walks of life to receive their education at UW–Madison,” Trueba says.

The Graaskamp Scholarship is currently a donor opportunity and will be distributed once the fund has grown large enough to support an award, according to Trueba.

Another available scholarship integrates the Wisconsin Experience into the award criteria. Created by Blair and Karen Mathews and based on the traditional UW–Madison value, the award is given to a student who will use the funds to support their participation in an activity that would be considered part of the Wisconsin Experience (e.g., study abroad, internship, research program, etc.), according to Trueba.

Awards are generally distributed in the fall of the upcoming year.

Most of the scholarships in the program recognize overall financial need in the award criteria, according to Trueba. The scholarships are decided based on some of the following criteria:

• Financial need;
• Academic record;
• Education and career goal;
• Impact of disability;
• Co-curricular activities; and
• Letters of recommendation.

All applicants must be UW–Madison students and enrolled at the time the scholarship is awarded. Each applicant is reviewed individually in relation to his/her current status and need. Previous award winners are also eligible to apply.

For more information and scholarship applications, visit here.

– Julia Eagleburger