College Scholarship

The Ability Center works to ensure that people with disabilities have opportunities to achieve higher education. In partnership with The Ability Center Auxiliary, we provide critical college scholarships to area students with disabilities.

One in a Million.

Most people with multiple autoimmune conditions would consider the odds against them when pursuing their dreams. But Olivia Ohmer is thinking differently.

Read more about Livy.

An autoimmune condition is relatively rare, so having more than one is highly uncommon. Olivia Ohmer has three.

At age three, doctors diagnosed Livy with Type 1 Diabetes. A year later, they discovered she had Hashimoto’s Thyroid Disease. For Livy, managing those chronic conditions meant learning personal responsibility far earlier than most people her age. By her estimate, she makes an extra 30-40 daily decisions most of us never need to consider.

Olivia attends Adrian College, where she plays on the school’s golf team. Not long ago, doctors informed her she had Solar Urticaria, a rare allergic reaction to sun exposure. Determined not to let that diagnosis prevent her from playing competitive golf, Livy resolved to overpower this condition as she does the others.

Livy received a college scholarship from The Ability Center Auxiliary in 2022. A member of the Honors College, she studies biology and public health and plans on becoming a physician assistant specializing in elderly care. Olivia understands the importance of patient care needs at all ages and hopes to advocate on behalf of vulnerable patient populations.

While most golfers go a lifetime without making a hole-in-one, Livy has two to her credit. Whether beating the odds on the golf course or handling the rarest medical conditions, she is truly one in a million.

The application deadline for the 2024/25 academic year is March 31, 2024
Selected Scholarship Recipients will be notified in late April. Awardees are asked to attend a Scholarship Luncheon on Wednesday, May 8, 2024.

Eligibility Requirements

For scholarship consideration, applicants must meet all eligibility requirements.

    • Be an individual with a disability
    • Have a permanent address in Allen, Defiance, Hancock, Henry, Fulton, Lucas, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca, Williams, or Wood counties in Ohio or in Monroe or Lenawee counties in Michigan
    • Carry at least a 3.0 GPA
    • Be enrolled in a post-secondary degree program

Instructions for Applying

Applications are now open. The 2024/25 academic year deadline is March 31, 2024. Applications are now completed entirely online. If for any reason you need accommodation, please let us know.

Instructions for new online-only application submission, please read carefully:

Your application can be submitted online in one of two ways: 1) online application form; or 2) upload a completed PDF application.

In addition, you must have all the necessary document files ready to upload (digital or scanned) before you begin your application. Note: The combined file size cannot exceed 75MB. Also, the online application form (option 1 above) cannot be saved — once started, you’ll need to continue until completed.

Complete the entire application. Incomplete or late applications will prevent you from scholarship consideration.

Required documents needed before you begin the application:

  • Your current certified transcript (must have 3.0 GPA)
  • For High School Seniors: proof of acceptance into a college or university
  • For new graduate students: proof of acceptance into a graduate program
  • Have the name and email address for each of your three references (must be unrelated to you)
  • Your typed essay (PDF, Word doc, or text)

About your typed essay.

Your 800 to 1,000 word (typically one to two pages), typed essay should answer the following questions:

  1. How does your disability affect your life?
  2. What sets you apart from your peers?
  3. If you receive this scholarship, how will you give back to your community?
  4. Share any career objectives, plans, personal goals, academic, or personal qualities you believe will help the Scholarship Committee make a favorable decision regarding your application.

Keep in mind that the content of your essay will be a major factor in selecting the scholarship winners.

 

Are you ready to apply?

Choose the online application option that’s best for you. (Required documents can be uploaded with both options.)

  1. Online application form
  2. PDF application form upload: First download the PDF college scholarship application. Once completed, return this page to upload it to the PDF application page along with the required documents. You will also submit your references’ contact information on that page.

 

If you have questions, please email scholarships@abilitycenter.org or call 419.885.5733.