Educational Scholarships

The Educational Scholarship program is designed to assist those in need to further their education and the opportunities available to them to support their families. This program is available to Alphas and their immediate family members. Scholarship recipients are selected by an Alpha-1 Foundation Scholarship Review Committee.

The deadline to submit a completed application with all attachments is April 1, 2023.

Alpha-1 Educational Scholarships are available to:

Individuals with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
Immediate family members (spouses, children, and grandchildren) of individuals with Alpha-1

Scholarships can be used for study at an approved institution (i.e., an accredited university, community college or technical institute) for post-high school education and career change/returning adult students.

Applicants must be accepted for study at an approved institution (i.e., an accredited university, community college or technical institute) and must be an incoming freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate student planning to attend a community college, college, university or other post-graduate programs.

Funds may be used for:

Tuition
Registration and other fees
Books and related materials

Individuals are only eligible to receive an Alpha-1 Educational Scholarship once. The Alpha-1 Educational Scholarship program is restricted to Alpha-1 patients or direct family members in the United States who are attending or plan to attend schools in the United States.

Alpha-1 Educational Scholarship Award Process

The call for applications is made each year in February and the Alpha-1 Educational Scholarships are awarded in June/July. A scholarship review committee of the Alpha-1 Foundation Board of Directors reviews and selects the scholarship recipients in June. Scholarship recipients are notified via e-mail in June/July and scholarship award. Applicants who are not selected will be notified by e-mail. If you have not received a letter or e-mail from our office by July 15th, please contact us. Please ensure that we have a current e-mail address on your application.

Program Schedule:

Applications accepted: February – April
Submission Deadline: April 1st
Application review process: May – June
Scholarships awarded: June – July
Recipients notified: By July 15th

Please do not contact our office regarding your application selection status before July 15th.

Applications

To download the 2023 Alpha-1 Educational Scholarships application, click here.

Submitting Your Application

Submit your completed application along with all required attachments one of two ways:

Email to a1fcommunications@alpha1.org with “Educational Scholarship Application ATTN Kim Caraballo” in the Subject line
Fax to (305) 503-4629 with “Educational Scholarship Application ATTN Kim Caraballo”

The deadline to submit a completed application with all attachments is on April 1, 2023.

All Educational Scholarship applications must include the following to be considered for a scholarship award:

Alpha-1 Educational Scholarship Requirements

Applicants agree to be added to the mailing list of the Alpha-1 Foundation, which is confidential and never shared with outside organizations, and receive occasional Foundation
Recipients agree to have their picture and short bio published in the Alpha-1-to-One Magazine for that scholarship year and other potential Alpha-1 Foundation publications, including the Alpha-1 Foundation
Recipients agree to participate in potential follow up discussions and/or meetings regarding the Alpha-1 community and involvement opportunities with the Alpha-1
Recipients may be asked to participate in future Alpha-1 Foundation program and/or planning
Recipients may be asked to raise awareness for Alpha-1 by sharing Alpha-1 Foundation social media

Scholarship Application Attachments

Your application must include the following attachments to be considered:

Completed Alpha-1 Educational Scholarship application
A copy of the applicant’s ACT/SAT scores
A copy of the applicant’s most recent transcripts [can be a clean, clear copy or forwarded by the institution, but must be received before the deadline]
Most recent high school transcripts for incoming freshmen
Most recent college transcripts for continuing students
Documentation of applicant’s high school or college GPA [if it is included on most recent transcripts, it is acceptable]
A 500-word essay explaining the lessons you have learned from Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (Alpha-1) and how it has impacted you as an individual
High resolution headshot [in jpeg form]

All applicants consent to having their names published and announced, at the Alpha-1 Foundation’s discretion, on Alpha-1 Foundation websites and other publications, including the Alpha-1-to-One magazine. Alpha-1 Educational Scholarship recipients agree to participate in a focus group and/or survey if requested.

For more information or questions not answered on this page, contact Kim Caraballo at kcaraballo@alpha1.org or call (877) 228-7321, Ext. 323.

Alpha-1 Educational Scholarships Available

Please note: only one application is necessary to be considered for all available scholarships.

Peter Smith wrote, edited and published Alpha-1 News from 1989 until 1992. Before his early death due to Alpha-1 he was spreading the word to over 1200 households. His efforts encouraged, enlightened and inspired those with Alpha-1 to reach out to one another and to learn. The intent of the Peter Smith Scholarship is to continue this tradition by helping those with Alpha-1 and their families to learn and achieve.

Peter Smith Scholarship awards are between $500 and $2,000.

Bob Haggerty was Treasurer of the Alpha-1 Association for many years as well as master of ceremonies at the National Conference. He loved to joke, always made people laugh and through laughter their problems were diminished, even if just for an evening or a moment.

The Robert J. Haggerty Memorial Scholarship award is $2,500.