The Scholarships for CDS Minors will begin accepting applications for the 2024-25 Academic Year on March 01, 2024. The deadline for all materials will be 11:59 pm on May 01, 2024.
Award distribution: Academic Year, beginning Fall
Award amount: variable. $500 for AY 2024-25
Number of awards: 2 total for students minoring in Critical Disability Studies at Western:
One Scholarship in Disability Justice & Activism
One Scholarship in Academic Critical Disability Studies
Applicant eligibility: To be considered, you must be a current WWU student planning to enroll at least half time next Fall and must have declared the Minor in Critical Disability Studies before the end of Winter Quarter 2024. Students may only apply to one of the two scholarships
Applications open: April 2024
Application deadline: 11:59 pm, Wednesday, May 01, 2024
Letter of recommendation deadline: 11:59 pm, Wednesday, May 01, 2024.
Contact: icds@wwu.edu with questions
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About the Scholarship
The Institute for Critical Disability Studies General Scholarships support WWU students who are engaging in advocacy, activism, and scholarly or creative work centered around critical disability studies and disability identity and justice.
These awards for Critical Disability Studies Minors were established by the ICDS Co-Directors and has been made possible by the generous donations of our Give Day donors who contributed to the ICDS General Scholarship Fund. This year, we are excited to be able to offer two new $500 scholarships to current declared minors in Critical Disability Studies, and we hope to increase the number and amount of scholarships we offer in the future.
To apply, submit an application consisting of the following:
- An application personal statement (1 – 2 paragraphs)
- Letter of recommendation from a mentor or faculty member
- Informal transcript
Evaluation Criteria:
Applicants will be judged on three main criteria
- Is the applicant a current declared Minor conducting coursework in Critical Disability Studies at Western?
- Has the applicant demonstrated engagement with one of the following aspects of disability studies and action (discussed in their personal statement):
- Candidates for the Disability Justice & Activism Scholarship for Minors engage in curricular or extracurricular work in disability justice, disability identity, advocacy, and/or activism and respond to the prompt: “How have you contributed to the rights, resources, and concerns of disability communities?“
- Candidates for the Academic Critical Disability Studies Scholarship for Minors conduct research, internships, independent studies, and other academic or creative work in areas related to CDS and respond to the prompt: “Why is Critical Disability Studies interesting and important to you academically?“
- Letter of Recommendation from a mentor or faculty member
- Preference is given for students who have demonstrated financial need, but it is not required to be chosen for the Award.
Letters of Recommendation
We need to receive one letter of recommendation from a faculty member or other mentor who can attest to why you are deserving of this scholarship.
Letters should be emailed by the recommender directly to the following two email addresses: icds.scholarship@wwu2.onmicrosoft.com and icds@wwu.edu, with your name in the heading. The deadline for letters of recommendation is 11:59 pm, on Wednesday May 01, 2024.