Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarship

The Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarship is NCLD's award for students with a documented learning disability who are taking a two-year, vocational, or specialized postsecondary route rather than a four-year degree. It pays $5,000 across two years at $2,500 per year. This is an unusual award to find: most national scholarship money assumes a bachelor's track, which leaves families choosing community college or a technical program with very little to apply for. Financial need is considered. As with the Anne Ford award, documentation of a learning disability is required and ADHD alone does not qualify.

How hard is the Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarship to win?

A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first. The provider does not publish applicant or winner counts, so Solyo shows no odds figure for this award.

What drives the odds here

Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.

• More rivalsOpen nationwide, so the field is large
• Fewer rivalsAn essay is required, which filters out casual applicants
• Fewer rivalsRecommendation letters are required, a step many applicants skip
• Fewer rivalsAn official transcript is required
• Fewer rivalsRequires a specific life circumstance
• Fewer rivalsOpen to a single grade level only

How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.

Who can apply for the Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarship?

These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.

• ✓Open to high school seniors
• ✓For students with a documented disability

What the application takes

• Essay required.
• 2 letters of recommendation. Ask teachers or counselors early; good letters take time.
• Transcript required. Request it from the school registrar ahead of the deadline.

Deadline and application cycle

The current deadline is May 10, 2027. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around May 10 each year.

Applications close

May 10, 2027

Common questions about the Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarship

More identity & background

• AAIA Native Scholarship
  $3,000 (varies by year)
• ACB Scholarship Program
  $2,500 to $7,500
• AG Bell College Scholarship Program
  $1,000 to $10,000
• AISES Scholarships
  $1,500 - $20,000 (varies by scholarship)
• APIA Scholarship
  $2,500 - $20,000
• Anne Ford Scholarship
  $10,000 ($2,500/yr over 4 years)

Lists this award appears on

• Renewable Scholarships (Multi-Year Awards)
• Community College Scholarships and Transfer Aid
• Scholarships With May Deadlines