AHEAD in Texas

Association on Higher Education and Disability in Texas

AHEAD IN TEXAS SCHOLARSHIP

The AHEAD in Texas Student Scholarship is now open for nominations. This annual scholarship honors students with disabilities enrolled in Texas colleges and universities who demonstrate a commitment to using their education in service to others.

This initiative is more than just financial aid—it’s a celebration of resilience, leadership, and the drive to make a meaningful impact. Past recipients have included aspiring teachers, nurses, mental health professionals, and nonprofit leaders—all working to create positive change in their communities.

Your support makes this possible.
Each year, proceeds from our TXAHEAD Conference Silent Auction directly fund these scholarships. You can also support this scholarship with a direct donation to the scholarship fund.

Donate to the Scholarship Fund

We also invite you to nominate a student from your institution who exemplifies the spirit of service and perseverance.

Eligibility Criteria:
To be eligible, nominees must:

  • Be currently enrolled at a Texas college or university;
  • Be registered with their institution’s disability services office;
  • Be enrolled in at least six (6) credit hours as an undergraduate or graduate student during the 2025–2026 academic year;
  • Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale);
  • Intend to pursue a service-oriented career (e.g., education, healthcare, nonprofit work, public service);
  • Be nominated by a current AHEAD in Texas member (each member may nominate one undergraduate and one graduate student).

Criteria for Award

Award decisions are based on the following selection criteria:

  • Leadership and services
  • Academic achievement
  • Well-articulated goals

Requirements

All of the following must be submitted for consideration:

  • Completed application
  • Transcripts of all college/university coursework (unofficial copies will be accepted)
  • Nomination from a current AHEAD in Texas member

Let’s work together to recognize and support the students who inspire us every day.

Scroll Down to Submit a Nomination
Deadline to submit nominations: Friday, May 9, 2025

Thank you for helping us uplift the next generation of leaders.

Scholarship Form

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This field is optional!

Nomination Statement

Using the space below, please provide a nomination statement which addresses these items:
  • Overview of student’s:
    • Educational pursuits and goals; and
    • Aspirations for future academic study and/or careers
  • Description of student’s formal and informal past experience, including paid and volunteer work, community service, service learning or
    • student activities, and/or organizational leadership positions.
  • Description of all disability-related leadership, services, and/or activities.
  • Why you think this student is the best candidate for the scholarship.
(NOTE: We recommend you write your statement in an app like Word and paste it into the box when you’re done so that you have a backup copy in case there are issues with your submission.)

Academic

  • Attach copies of all college/university transcripts (unofficial copies are accepted)
  • If you have more than four attachments, please send additional files to Elvira Smith via email at esmith@uta.edu
Max. file size: 512 MB.
Max. file size: 512 MB.
Max. file size: 512 MB.
Max. file size: 512 MB.