We know that a college education is often very costly for families. We also know that the $3600 per semester fee for UA-ACTS program services is an additional cost to consider when planning and making decisions for your time at The University of Alabama.
Please know that there may be a number of ways to offset the costs of your time at The University of Alabama.
We suggest you consider the following options:
- Meet with a Vocational Rehabilitation counselor in your area or in Tuscaloosa to determine whether you are eligible for additional support through that agency. In the past, some Vocational Rehabilitation programs have provided funds to help students with ASD pay part of their tuition. You should also ask whether these funds can cover other items, such as textbooks or the UA-ACTS fee.
- Some students may be eligible to receive aid from Social Security. Please contact your local Social Security office for more information.
- Apply for financial aid through the University to determine if you are eligible for loans or grants to cover tuition, housing, and other associated costs. The University of Alabama Office of Student Financial Aid may be contacted at (205) 348-6756 or look at their website, financialaid.ua.edu, for more information.
- The University of Alabama has a number of scholarships available for students. You may wish to contact the scholarship office about funding opportunities at 1-800-933-BAMA or scholarships.ua.edu.
- There have been a number of ASD advocacy groups that have started offering small scholarships for students with ASD. Here are a couple we are aware of:
- The Schwallie Family Scholarship, through the Organization for Autism Research (OAR), provides awards of up to $3000.
- The Autism Society of America provides a $1000 scholarship to several individuals with ASD to apply to postsecondary educational or vocational programs of study through the CVS/All Kids Can Scholars Program.
- The American Association on Health and Disability offers a scholarship to individuals with disabilities at the college level.
Please note that federal grants/loans or other awards that specify a use for tuition, fees, or associated college expenses do not typically apply to clinical services such as the UA-ACTS program fee.
More Information
Please contact the UA-ACTS office at ua-acts@ua.edu for more information about financial concerns.