Sponsored by the Platelet Disorder Support Association
The Platelet Disorder Support Association (PDSA) strives to provide patient information and support through various avenues including its website, many publications, and annual and regional conferences. PDSA realizes that many ITP patients and their families struggle with the financial difficulty of living with a chronic disorder as well as the burden of medical bills and the cost of treatments. The scholarship program was established in 2008 to aid ITP patients who are pursuing higher education and has awarded over $49,000 to deserving students over the years.
Applications will open online on February 2, 2026. Completed Applications must be received no later than midnight EST on March 20, 2026.
2026 Scholarship Funds
- First Place Award: $6,000 awarded in equal increments over the remaining years of one student’s two- to four-year education and two (2) complimentary ITP Conference 2026 registrations
- Second Place Award: $1,500 one-time award for one student
- Third Place Award: $1,000 one-time award for one student
- Fourth Place Award: $750 one-time award for one student
- Fifth Place Award: $500 one-time honorable mention award for two students
Winning an Award:
Winners are selected by an impartial panel of judges chosen by PDSA. Winners will be notified by May 29, 2026, and asked to provide a recent photo for publication in a winner announcement in the PDSA quarterly newsletter, The Platelet News. In addition, the first place award winner will receive two complimentary registrations for the 2026 ITP Conference in Salt Lake City, UT, July 24-26, 2026, where the winners will be announced. Once you have won an award, it is your responsibility to provide proof of enrollment in your chosen institution to PDSA. Please note that first place award funds are distributed differently than the other one-time awards. All scholarship funds will either be awarded in yearly increments (first place) or as a one-time payment (second through fifth place awards) during the academic year(s). Payments will be made directly to the educational institution prior to the start of the fall semester, contingent upon proof of enrollment. If you have further questions about how an award may be distributed, please email pdsa@pdsa.org with the subject line “2026 College Scholarship.”
Eligibility:
Awards are restricted to graduating senior high school students, current college students, or adults interested in continuing education who have immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), or another confirmed low platelet disorder.* The Scholarship award is intended to assist full-time undergraduate or graduate students entering or attending an accredited technical school, two- or four-year college, university, or graduate school in either the United States or Canada only. The Applicant must be a U.S. or Canadian Citizen. There is no GPA requirement, however, the Applicant must have acceptance to the institution of their choice and provide PDSA with the requested proof of enrollment to receive awards. Former Scholarship recipients are not permitted to reapply (those who have won $250 school fee/book awards prior to 2025 are still eligible). The following persons are also considered ineligible to apply: Family members of ITP patients, PDSA staff (current or former) and their family members, PDSA board members (current or former) and their family members, the scholarship selection committee judges (current and former) and their family members. PDSA reserves the right to change eligibility criteria and award amounts for each new program year.
*Please see the list of eligible conditions below to determine whether your low platelet disorder qualifies you for this scholarship program. Email pdsa@pdsa.org with the subject line “2026 College Scholarship” for any additional questions.
This list is intended to be a guide to determine eligibility to apply for the PDSA College Scholarship Program only. It is not intended for any other purpose and may not be exhaustive. Please contact pdsa@pdsa.org
Eligible Conditions:
| Ineligible Conditions:
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Application Process:
It is recommended that you read all the instructions provided before beginning your application. Once you begin your application online, you will not be able to save it to complete at a later date. The checklist below includes a list of all the necessary submission materials to ensure that you will be able to complete your application.
When beginning your application, you will be asked to fill out the required form fields for your contact information, followed by uploading the additional required materials and information as specified below. Before submitting your application online, you will be asked to type your name and the application date to serve as your digital signature. For those under 18 years of age on the date of submission, please refer to the additional requirement in the checklist below for parent/legal guardian consent
Applications will open online at pdsa.org/scholarship on February 2, 2026. Completed Applications must be received no later than midnight EST on March 20, 2026.
Submission Requirements:
A Completed Application includes all required personal and contact information, digital signature/consent, personal essay, and two letters of recommendation. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Winners will be notified by May 29, 2026, and asked to supply a recent photo for a winner announcement. Scholarship award winners will be announced in our quarterly newsletter, The Platelet News, and at our annual conference, which will be held in Salt Lake City, UT this year. Winners are encouraged to attend, if possible! Completed Applications will be reviewed and judged by an impartial panel selected by PDSA. PDSA reserves the right to reject applications that do not meet the eligibility or submission requirements as detailed.
A Personal Essay of 700 to 1,000 words is required. This essay should tell us how your platelet disorder has resulted in your growth as a person; what you learned about your own strengths and weaknesses. If you feel it’s changed you, whether emotionally or physically, describe how it changed your approach to life and relationships. Summarize how having an illness might have affected your life’s accomplishments and helped you set goals. If you feel that having a chronic illness has helped you choose a career path, illustrate how, and explain why you feel this way and what you have done to meet these educational goals. Describe how achieving your educational aspirations will positively impact your future plans, in light of the struggles that you face from your platelet disorder. Note: Do not include your name anywhere in the essay.
Two (2) Letters of Recommendation written by adults who are not related to you must also be provided, along with the first/last name and email address of each recommender. Please note that reference letters should make no mention of your name. Applicants, if you are reusing a recently written letter of recommendation from a college application or another scholarship program, please ensure that the letters you upload on your application are general recommendations or have been updated by your referrer to be specific to the PDSA College Scholarship Program. Please also instruct your referrers to use general terms – for example, “the applicant” and pronouns – in place of your name. The scholarship selection committee judges should not be able to identify any applicants by name, however, the file you upload on your application may include your name in the title of the document for administrative purposes. Please direct any questions to pdsa@pdsa.org with the subject line “2026 College Scholarship.”
Application Checklist:
- Your 700- to 1,000-word Essay (Accepted File Formats: .pdf, .doc, .docx, .txt, .rtf, .html, .odt)
- Two Letters of Recommendation (Accepted File Formats: .pdf, .doc, .docx, .txt, .rtf, .html, .odt)
- Contact Information for Both Referrers (name & email address)
- Your Contact Information
Including:- Legal Name
- Physical Address
- Birthdate*
- Email Address
- Phone Number
- Name of Diagnosed Low Platelet Disorder
- Name of School(s) Currently Attending & Planning to Attend
- Digital Signature for Consent to Apply *
*If under 18 years of age on the date of submission: You will also need to provide the name, email address, and phone number of a parent/legal guardian to provide consent for entry. Please note that consent for those under 18 years of age is required for your application to be considered complete, and therefore must be received before the submission deadline March 20, 2026, by midnight EST. If you are under 18 years of age, you will need to submit your application in enough time to receive consent or have the parent/legal guardian you name on your application provide consent to apply ahead of time by sending to pdsa@pdsa.org. If the applicant is 18 years of age or older on or before the application date, no additional consent is needed.
Parental Consent Template/Instructions:
Parent/Guardian – Please copy/paste the text below into an email*, fill in your name, child’s/ward’s name, and the date completed, and send to pdsa@pdsa.org, with “2026 College Scholarship Consent” in the subject line.
If necessary, consent may be written and mailed to “PDSA College Scholarship 2026,” 8751 Brecksville Rd, Ste 150, Brecksville, OH 44141, but please note that it must be received by the application deadline of March 20, 2026.
I, (first & last name of parent/legal guardian), hereby certify that I have read and understand all eligibility and submission requirements for the PDSA College Scholarship Program 2026. I affirm that my child/ward, (first and last name of child/ward), meets these requirements and has my consent to apply for the program. Date: (mm)/(dd)/2026
HOW YOU CAN HELP INCREASE PDSA’S COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP FUND
You can make a donation to the PDSA College Scholarship Program by clicking on the button below. PDSA is a 501(c)(3) organization. All donations to the Scholarship Fund are tax deductible.
Over the past few years, some of our award winners have attended our ITP Conference. It’s been a wonderful way of connecting with those involved with the PDSA Program. We hope to see more of you this year.
