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Holes – A Survivor’s College Essay

One year ago, Matthew Buff, a leukemia survivor, was fine-tuning his college applications. Today, he is a busy freshman at Emory University majoring in biology on a pre-med track. Matthew's personal goal is to become a pediatric oncologist focused on genetic research. The following is his college admissions essay. 

A round piece of silicone wrapped in a metal ring about the size of a quarter. If you tip it slightly, at just the right angle, where it catches the light, you would see hundreds of tiny holes covering the entirety of its surface. A miniature vacated battlefield of a war once won. It may not look like much to most people, but this tiny piece of plastic riddled with needle holes called a port or port-a-cath, helped to save my life and is now my visual inspiration to help others.

In the beginning, each hole could have easily represented another round of chemotherapy, spinal tap, blood transfusion, hospitalization, surgery or enrollment into a new study to treat my leukemia. They could also represent another day unable to attend school, each time being isolated from friends, and too many middle-of-the-night trips to the emergency room that would ultimately lead to another round of pokes, tests and abruptly waking to the beeping alarm of my IV pole early the next morning.

However, as my body has recuperated over the past five years since completing cancer treatment, the meaning of each hole has also transformed. Each hole now represents a lesson learned, a person met through my experience and the opportunity to make impactful change or people affected by catastrophic illness.

My parents and doctors have always encouraged me to not let my experience with cancer define me. I believe I have done a good job of incorporating that into my daily life, relationships and pursued interests. However, as I have matured and started to gain new experiences in life, I have chosen to reconnect with my past and allow it to acutely influence my perspective. I can’t help but to see the world from a slightly different angle than my peers after experiencing the delicateness and resiliency of life by age 12. I no longer view those years in and out of the hospital as negative, but a gift to help shape my abilities and sharpen my purpose.

From a very young age, I’ve learned to be an advocate for myself, to be an effective communicator, how to endure and thrive through challenges, become a capable and independent learner and find joy in contributing back to the community that surrounded me during my time of need. I want to now expand on those experiences and create new and meaningful relationships within the college environment that will continue to mold how I see the world and my future contributions within it.

I want to bravely explore other “holes” people have endured within their own lives, sit with them, and begin to find ways to alleviate their struggles through the commonalities of the human experience. If we can appreciate our differences, yet focus on what connects us, I believe there would be more peace in the world and fewer opportunities for any kind of pain and suffering. Empathy and compassion, in combination with technology and research, has the potential to redefine health and care. I intend for my experience and knowledge to be part of this progress.

My current objective is to build my college education with a concentration in biology and life sciences with the goal to become a research oncologist. Beyond my academic interest in those areas, I believe shifting my experiences from patient or receiver of care, to student of science with the intent to deliver care, will provide me the knowledge and holistic perspective to begin to develop the passion and endurance necessary to make a life-long commitment to healing through medicine.

We can’t always choose the experiences that shape us into who we are meant to be, but we can utilize them to empower ourselves, inspire each other and help others. Holes don’t have to be permanent; they can be the necessary foundation to begin to build something important and meaningful. We must be willing to excavate our own comfort, take risk, overcome challenges, plant new footings and create solutions to fill the gaps that are exposed in both our own lives, and in the lives of the people around us. Sometimes, if we look at things from a slightly different angle, like when the light reflects off my port, we can find new solutions to effectively and completely fill each new hole.

Written by Matthew Buff   Matthew was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2009. Now six years beyond treatment, he is a college student working towards his goal of becoming a pediatric oncologist focused on genetic research. 

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Academic Scholarships

The Izzy Foundation offers academic scholarships to children NATIONWIDE who have been diagnosed with or treated for  PEDIATRIC CANCER  and their siblings. The Izzy Foundation provides scholarships in two categories: (1) Grades K-12 and (2) College.

The Izzy Foundation gives $500 per approved student each year for up to three (3) years. Scholarships awarded are distributed by January 31st of each year. The funds are mailed DIRECTLY to the Bursar’s Office of the recipients accredited School/College/University ONLY.

APPLICATIONS PERIOD:

OPENS : MARCH 1, 2024 AT 8:00 AM

CLOSES : MAY 1, 2024 AT 8:00 PM

APPLICATIONS CLOSE MAY 1st at 8 PM. (Please note: Applications that are incomplete will NOT be considered for a scholarship). Letter of status will be emailed by the Foundation on by July 1st. If accepted to receive an award, you MUST fill out an Acceptance Form (provided in your status email) no later than October 1st or your award will be forfeited.

College Applicants MUST Be : (ONLY fill out this application if you are entering college or currently a college student)

• MUST be a current pediatric cancer patient, a childhood cancer survivor, AND/OR a sibling under the age of 25 (bereaved siblings are welcome to apply).
• MUST have been diagnosed before the age of 18 with pediatric cancer.
• A citizen of the United States living within the country and attending school in the U.S.
• Be enrolled in or accepted for enrollment in an accredited undergraduate school.
• One letter of recommendation from teacher, mentor or employer.
• 250-500 word essay on academic and career goals along with why you choose The Izzy Foundation (written by the student applying).
• You will also have the option to share a video, artwork or other forms of artists expression explaining your academic goals (application will explain to you how to do this).

Elementary/High School Applicants MUST be: (ONLY fill out this application if you are entering K-12)

• 250 word essay on academic and career goals along with why you choose The Izzy Foundation (written by the *student applying).
• Younger *students can draw a picture or submit a video telling us about themselves and their family.

Office Location:

151 Broadway, Suite 200

Providence, RI 02903

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 2326

Providence, RI 02906

Phone: (401) 331-IZZY (4999)

Email:   hello@theizzyfou ndation.org

Mission Statement

The Izzy Foundation is a national nonprofit located in Providence, Rhode Island whose mission is to design, fund and IZspire creative projects and programs for families whose children have cancer or other life altering medical conditions to LIVE , LAUGH , LOVE and PLAY .

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Home > Cancer Research Catalyst > Cancer Survivors: In Their Words

Cancer Survivors: In Their Words

This year alone, an estimated 1.8 million people will hear their doctor say they have cancer. The individual impact of each person can be clouded in the vast statistics. In honor of National Cancer Survivor Month,  Cancer Today would like to highlight several personal essays we’ve published from cancer survivors at different stages of their treatment. 

In  this essay , psychiatrist Adam P. Stern’s cerebral processing of his metastatic kidney cancer diagnosis gives rise to piercing questions. When he drops off his 3-year-old son to daycare, he ponders a simple exchange: his son’s request for a routine morning hug before he turns to leave. “Will he remember me, only a little, just enough to mythologize me as a giant who used to carry him up the stairs? As my health declines, will he have to learn to adjust to a dad who used to be like all the other dads but then wasn’t?” he questions. 

In  another essay from a parent with a young child, Amanda Rose Ferraro describes the abrupt change from healthy to not healthy after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in May 2017. After a 33-day hospital stay, followed by weeklong chemotherapy treatments, Ferraro’s cancer went into remission, but a recurrence required more chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. Ferraro describes harrowing guilt over being separated from her 3-year-old son, who at one point wanted nothing to do with her. “Giving up control is hard, but not living up to what I thought a mother should be was harder. I had to put myself first, and it was the hardest thing I had ever done,” she writes.

In January 1995, 37-year-old Melvin Mann was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia, which would eventually mean he would  need to take a chance on a phase I clinical trial that tested an experimental drug called imatinib—a treatment that would go on to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval under the brand name Gleevec. It would also mean trusting a system with a documented history of negligence and abuse of Black people like him: “Many patients, especially some African Americans, are afraid they will be taken advantage of because of past unethical experiments like the infamous Tuskegee syphilis study​,” Mann writes, before describing changes that make current trials safer. Mann’s been on imatinib ever since and has enjoyed watching his daughter become a physician and celebrating 35 years of marriage.

In  another essay , Carly Flumer addresses the absurdity of hearing doctors reassure her that she had a good cancer after she was diagnosed with stage I papillary thyroid cancer in 2017. “What I did hear repeatedly from various physicians was that I had the ‘good cancer,’ and that ‘if you were to have a cancer, thyroid would be the one to get,’” she writes.

In another piece for Cancer Today , Flumer shares  how being diagnosed with cancer just four months after starting a graduate program shaped her education and future career path.

For Liza Bernstein, her breast cancer diagnosis created a paradox as she both acknowledged and denied the disease the opportunity to define who she was. “In the privacy of my own mind, I refused to accept that cancer was part of my identity, even though it was affecting it as surely as erosion transforms the landscape,” she writes . “Out in the world, I’d blurt out, ‘I have cancer,’ because I took questions from acquaintances like ‘How are you, what’s new?’ literally. Answering casual questions with the unvarnished truth wasn’t claiming cancer as my identity. It was an attempt to dismiss the magnitude of it, like saying ‘I have a cold.’” By her third primary breast cancer diagnosis, Bernstein reassesses and moves closer to acceptance as she discovers her role as advocate.

As part of the staff of  Cancer Today , a magazine and online resource for cancer patients, survivors and caregivers, we often refer to a succinct tagline to sum up our mission: “Practical knowledge. Real hope.” Part of providing information is also listening closely to cancer survivors’ experiences. As we celebrate National Cancer Survivor Month, we elevate these voices, and all patients and survivors in their journeys.

Cancer Today is a magazine and online resource for cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers published by the American Association for Cancer Research.  Subscriptions to the magazine are free ​ to cancer patients, survivors and caregivers who live in the U.S. 

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Childhood Cancer Survivor Study: An Overview

Dr. Greg Armstrong, principal investigator of the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, with a study participant.

In 2022, there were an estimated 18.1 million cancer survivors in the United States. As of 2020, nearly 496,000 cancer survivors were first diagnosed when they were under the age of 20. Advances in cancer treatment mean that today 85% of children diagnosed with cancer are alive at least five years after diagnosis. Many ultimately will be considered cured. As a consequence, interest is growing in the long-term health of these survivors.

Health problems that develop years later because of a cancer treatment are known as late effects. (For more information, see Late Effects of Treatment for Childhood Cancer .) The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study ( CCSS ), funded by the National Cancer Institute and other organizations, was started in 1994 to better understand these late effects, increase survival, and minimize harmful health effects. Greg Armstrong, M.D., M.S.C.E., at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., is the principal investigator for this research study. A list of collaborating institutions can be found on the CCSS website.

Originally, childhood cancer survivors diagnosed between 1970 and 1986 were identified for this long-term, retrospective cohort study from participating centers in the United States and Canada. More than 14,000 survivors were surveyed and followed for long-term health outcomes. In addition, about 4,000 of their siblings were recruited as comparison subjects. Due to the significant changes in therapy for children with cancer over the past 30 years, a second group of about 10,000 survivors diagnosed between 1987 and 1999 and about 1,000 of their siblings were also recruited for the study. Therefore, the CCSS cohort includes three decades of survivors of cancers in children and adolescents.

Researchers gathered information from the survivors’ medical records on primary treatment exposure that included surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of treatments.

CCSS is an excellent resource for the development, testing, and dissemination of intervention strategies. Several randomized intervention studies among high-risk childhood cancer survivor populations have been completed (e.g., studies about breast cancer screening, cardiovascular screening, skin cancer screening, and smoking cessation). CCSS-based research provided the foundation for all of these studies. Intervention studies are ongoing to reduce obesity in survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and to reduce the underdiagnosis and undertreatment of traditional cardiovascular risk factors—including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia. An intervention trial to improve breast cancer screening with both mammography and breast MRI is also under way.

Researchers who have studied CCSS data so far have identified a number of potential late effects, including premature menopause, stroke, and subsequent cancers. Childhood cancer survivors should get close, long-term follow-up from doctors who know about these kinds of complications, say experts. To address this issue, the Children’s Oncology Group ( COG ) has prepared a resource for physicians called “ Long-Term Follow-Up Guidelines for Survivors of Childhood, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancers ”.

The CCSS website includes a  comprehensive list  of published results of CCSS-based research studies. 

• Open access
• Published: 07 June 2021

Access to and experience of education for children and adolescents with cancer: a scoping review protocol

• Gemma Bryan   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-8497-4093 1 , 2 ,
• Paula Kelly 3 ,
• Heather Chesters 4 ,
• Jayne Franklin 5 ,
• Helen Griffiths 6 ,
• Loveday Langton 7 ,
• Luke Langton 7 ,
• Claire E. Wakefield 8 , 9 &
• Faith Gibson 1 , 3  

Systematic Reviews volume  10 , Article number:  167 ( 2021 ) Cite this article

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Cancer diagnosis in childhood or adolescence impacts significantly on school attendance, experience and educational outcomes. While there is longstanding recognition in clinical practice that these effects span the whole illness trajectory and continue beyond treatment completion, further clarity is required on the specific barriers and facilitators to education during cancer treatment and beyond, as well as on the experiences of children and adolescents across the full range of education settings (hospital, home, virtual, original school of enrolment), in order to determine which interventions are successful in improving access and experience from their perspective. The aim of this review is to identify what is known from the existing literature about access to and experience of education for children and adolescents with cancer during and post treatment.

We have planned a scoping literature review searching the following databases from inception onwards: MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase and Embase Classic, Web of Science Core Collection, Education Resources Index, Sociological Abstracts, APA PsycINFO, SCOPUS, CINAHL Plus, Emcare and The Cochrane Library. In addition, DARE, conference abstracts, key journals, and institutional websites will be searched. Arksey and O’Malley’s six-step process will be followed, including a consultation exercise. Studies, reports and policies from any country providing care and treatment for children and adolescents with cancer published in English will be considered eligible for inclusion. Two reviewers will independently screen all citations, full-text articles and abstract data. A narrative summary of findings will be conducted. Data analysis will involve quantitative (e.g., frequencies) and qualitative (e.g., content and thematic analysis) methods.

This is a timely examination given the increased incidence of childhood cancer, more intensive treatment regimens and improved survival rates for childhood cancer. The inclusion of a substantive consultation exercise with families and professionals will provide an important opportunity to examine the scoping review outputs. Findings will assist the childhood cancer community in developing a comprehensive evidence-based understanding of a significant associated bio-psychosocial impact of cancer diagnosis and treatment and will form the first step towards developing effective interventions and policies to mitigate identified detrimental effects.

Systematic review registration

Open Science Framework (osf/io/yc4wt)

Peer Review reports

A paediatric cancer diagnosis can affect a child’s school experience throughout the entire treatment trajectory [ 1 ]. At diagnosis and during treatment, absenteeism due to therapy regimens and their associated side-effects can lead to increased social difficulties and feelings of disconnection, inhibiting the child’s ability to learn and engage in their education [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Post-treatment, absenteeism may continue, and permanent sensory and neurocognitive deficits may impact a child’s ability to engage in school and consequently affect their academic achievements [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]. As many as 30% of survivors of childhood cancer are forced to repeat a year of schooling due to the interruptions experienced [ 3 , 5 , 6 ]. While social isolation may continue to be an issue despite successful engagement with school [ 7 ].

There has been widespread recognition of the impact of cancer diagnosis and treatment on educational attainment, with studies documenting that survivors perform less well overall [ 3 , 8 ]. A recent systematic review drew attention to the association between educational attainment, emotional well-being and economic security, as an imperative for actioning educational support for survivors [ 9 ]. Importantly, their results indicated that a long-standing focus on the under-performance and need for additional educational support for children with central nervous system (CNS) disease and or directed treatment has potentially led to less recognition of the educational challenges for all types of childhood cancer diagnosis and treatment [ 9 ]. Of note, the studies identified in the review drew on retrospective data for survivors treated over a significant timespan (1940–2009) which encompass significant changes in treatment protocols, prognosis and associated morbidity for many types of childhood cancer.

Parental concern for their child’s education following diagnosis has also been documented, including noting reductions in academic performance, ability to participate in school and school-related activities and the need for education professionals and school peers to receive information specific to their child’s needs [ 1 ]. Education and health care professionals also identify their own needs for training to support the educational needs of children and adolescents with cancer [ 10 ]. In England, the Department for Education provides guidance on the statutory obligations that schools have to meet the educational support needs for children with medical conditions, including cancer [ 11 , 12 ]. Although the need for planning and resources is widely recognised, families and advocacy groups continue to report under use of the guidance [ 13 ].

There is a wide range of materials, print and online, providing information on the impacts of cancer treatments on educational experience. However, online resources have been found to be highly variable in quality of content and to have limited accessibility for the majority of parents [ 14 ]. Securing appropriate educational support for their child is an additional advocacy role for parents of children with cancer, requiring understanding of the educational systems and relying on parents to act as brokers of information between health care and educational services [ 15 , 16 ]. This may be required throughout their child’s educational career—often extending many years beyond treatment completion.

A range of interventions have been developed to support children with cancer in accessing education during and beyond treatment [ 2 ]. These include access to education through hospital-based school services and initiatives aimed at maintaining contact with their own school peers and teachers during hospitalisation; home schooling programmes and web-based technology links to the child’s original school of enrolment [ 17 ]; and school re-entry programmes [ 18 ] which provide information and support to education professionals, parents, school peer groups and patients about the impact of cancer on learning and the social, emotional and practical factors of returning to school. These interventions may include how to access statutory and specialist educational services to ensure long-term assessment and individual input for survivors throughout their educational career. Studies reporting these approaches are often small scale, linked to a single children’s oncology centre, with no planned strategy for mandating long-term provision [ 19 ].

There is limited recent and robust evidence regarding which interventions have a positive effect on children and adolescents access to and experience of education during care and treatment for cancer. Thompson et al. [ 19 ] identified 17 peer-reviewed papers focused on school re-entry support to maintain academic continuity and highlighted the lack of data related to children’s own perspectives and those of their parents of interventions. A later review also concluded that the typically low quality of studies precluded their ability to recommend a specific intervention approach related to school re-entry [ 4 ].

Children’s own experiences appear to have received insufficient investigation given the extensive concerns related to educational attainment. Retrospective reporting [ 20 ] and small sample sizes [ 21 ] are further issues that challenge the drawing together of robust recommendations from individual studies. Children’s own perceptions seem to have a strong focus on the social aspects of school life [ 22 ]; these can form both the positive aspects of school and some of the more challenging aspects as reported by children and adolescents themselves [ 23 ]. Children’s concerns regarding their academic performance often appear secondary; however, the limited data reviewed to date may have failed to reveal variations regarding for example specific cancer diagnosis, stage of schooling, school orientation to academic performance and previous school experience.

There is therefore a need to better understand the associated bio-psychosocial impact of diagnosis and treatment for children and adolescents, in the context of the increasing incidence of childhood cancer and improvements in survival (particularly in high-income countries). Only through improved understanding and effective interventions to mitigate identified detrimental effects can the full benefits of survival be realised by children, adolescents and their families.

This scoping review will examine the published evidence on access to education from diagnosis to beyond treatment completion in all settings and seeks to identify the experiences of children and adolescents, their parents, education and health care professionals to determine how further research can optimise educational opportunities and facilitate effective participation for children and adolescents with cancer. Ethnographic theory will inform our examination of the literature in recognition that school plays a fundamental role in children’s cultural and social lives [ 24 , 25 ]. Moreover, children will continue to be part of the structures and cultures of health care services throughout and post treatment. Ethnography can provide a framework to analyse these contexts for children, families and the services that support them. At diagnosis and during treatment, children and their families are rapidly socialised into the rules of cancer care and treatment rules-that they are required to follow within the hospital and beyond [ 26 ]. In considering a resumption of schooling, they need to integrate the culture of cancer care into education-focused systems. In a similar way, health care professionals, parents and children are required to translate health implications to educate their education professionals, who will in turn interpret these for operating within their own structures.

In mapping the available research knowledge on access and experience of education for children and adolescents with cancer, we will be explicit in recognising the cultural worlds of illness and schooling. In this way, our understanding of current evidence and gaps in knowledge will pave the way for further collaborative and translational research in health care and education to improve educational access and experience for children and adolescents with cancer. This approach will enable their full social and learning potential to be realised.

The objective of this scoping review is to determine the current evidence and gaps in the knowledge base on access to and experience of education for children and adolescents with cancer. In consultation with children, adolescents, parents, health care and education professionals we will use these findings to develop an initiative for further research and interventions to inform and improve practice.

Methods/design

The review protocol has been registered within the Open Science framework database (osf/io/yc4wt) and is being reported in accordance with the reporting guidance provided in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) statement [ 27 , 28 ] (see checklist in Additional file 1 ). The proposed scoping review will be reported in accordance with the reporting guidance provided in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) [ 29 ]. The scoping review methodology will be conducted in accordance with the framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley [ 30 ] and includes a consultation phase.

This scoping review aims to identify all of the relevant literature—regardless of study design with the aim to identify key concepts and gaps in the literature.

This examination will take an iterative approach, enabling a reflexive review of the search strategy and further refining of the research question as part of the process [ 31 ]. The flexibility of the scoping approach will enhance our ability to explore this complex topic. The six steps to be employed in this scoping review include (1) defining the research question; (2) identifying relevant articles; (3) study selection; (4) charting the data; and (5) collating, summarising and reporting the results; and (6) a consultation exercise [ 30 ].

Step 1: defining the research question

The aim of this scoping review is to identify what is known from the existing literature about the access to and experience of education for children and adolescents with cancer during and post treatment.

This will be achieved by answering the following questions:

What are the experiences of children and adolescents with cancer regarding their education during and post treatment?

What are the experiences of parents, education and health care professionals of the provision of education during and post treatment to children and adolescents with cancer?

What are the factors that impact access to education (school/preschool/nursery/college, home schooling, hospital schooling) for children and adolescents with cancer during and post treatment?

What are the types, effects and outcomes of interventions to facilitate access to education, including school re-entry and return-to-school programs for children and adolescents with cancer during and post treatment?

Step 2: identify relevant literature

Literature will be identified through searching the following databases from inception onwards: MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase and Embase Classic, Web of Science Core Collection, Education Resources Index, Sociological Abstracts, APA PsycINFO, SCOPUS, CINAHL Plus, Emcare, The Cochrane Library, and the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (Table 1 : electronic databases to be searched). These databases have been selected as a source of evidence on the research topic involving the academic, policy and practice fields of child health, cancer care and treatment, education and psychosocial well-being for children and families. In addition, we will search the proceedings of the following national and international conferences in these fields from the last 10 years: American Society of Pediatric Haematology and Oncology (ASPHO), Association of Pediatric Haematology and Oncology Nurses (APHON), International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP), Nordic Society for Pediatric Oncology Nurses (NOBOS), Nordic Society of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology (NOPHO) and the Conference Proceedings Citation Index (Table 2 : conference abstracts to be searched). Outputs from the last 10 years from the following key journals will also be searched: Cancer Education, Cancer Nursing, Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, The Educational and Developmental Psychologist, European Journal of Cancer Care, European Journal of Cancer, European Journal of Oncology Nursing, Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology, Journal of Cancer Education, Journal of Cancer Survivorship, Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, Pediatric Haematology and Oncology, Pediatric Blood and Cancer, Psycho-oncology, Seminars in Oncology Nursing, Seminars in Oncology and Supportive Care in Cancer (Table 3 : key journals to be searched) and the reference lists of all potential inclusions will be hand searched.

Cancer as a disease occupies a particular cultural standing which is reflected in the wide range of professional and charitable organisations conducting research, providing information and support to people with cancer and their families. We will explore the website of these key organisations and charities in our search strategy: American Childhood Cancer Organisation, Australian Government Cancer Australia, Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth, Canadian Cancer Society, Cancer Research UK, Child Cancer Foundation New Zealand, Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG), Childhood Cancer International (CCI), CLIC Sargent, Macmillan Cancer Support and Teenage Cancer Trust. Our multidisciplinary team has identified three organisations focused on supporting children with medical needs in the education setting and we plan to explore these websites in addition (Medical Needs in Schools, Missing School, National Association for Hospital Schools) (Table 4 : organisational websites to be searched).

The expertise of an Information Specialist (HC) has been included to identify and develop appropriate search terms to achieve a comprehensive search strategy of key words and subject headings to achieve the largest number of relevant papers.

Specific Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and free text terms for child, adolescent and related terms such as “school child” or “teen” will be combined with terms for cancer including cancers specific to children. These terms will be combined with MeSH terms for education, teaching and school, key words for example “home school”, “school re-entry”, “hospital school” using Boolean logic operators (and, or) (Additional file 2 : Draft search strategy for Medline).

A pilot of the search terms has been conducted in OVID Medline by two members of the research team (PK, GB) to check and refine the initial terms and the revised strategy will then be applied to all of the databases and other source materials. Following the iterative approach, the study team will determine and document the processes undertaken to undertake revised searches as changes are made throughout the study.

The scope of the study will include literature that is readily available in the English language. No restrictions on date of publication will be employed. The initial searches will be run by HC and results imported into Endnote reference management system, duplicate copies will be removed. All titles and abstracts will be independently screened by PK and GB to identify eligible studies. Any disagreements on inclusion/exclusion will be taken to a third reviewer (FG). The number of studies included and excluded at each stage, along with reasons will be summarised in a PRISMA flow diagram, with a record of the rationale for decisions recorded on a Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet. PK and GB will independently review the full text of all studies and reports identified for inclusion, 10% of the sample will be checked by FG for agreement, and the team will meet to discuss those selected for inclusion. In keeping with scoping review approaches methodological quality will not be assessed.

Step 3: study selection

To reflect the objectives of this scoping review, we have followed the recommendations of Peters and colleagues [ 32 ], defining participants, concepts and context in an explicit way. Participants will include children and adolescents with any cancer diagnosis, acknowledging that the type of cancer and its associated treatment modalities may influence educational experience and access. As children’s and adolescents’ access to educational input is mediated by adults, including their parents, heath care professionals responsible for their care and treatment and education professionals with responsibility for educational provision and or policy, these groups will also be included in the review.

We have identified two key concepts in relation to education for children and adolescents with cancer—access and experience. We have defined access as the opportunities or barriers for children and adolescents with cancer to take part in the anticipated experiences of education across the compulsory education spectrum—which we define as from preschool up until university or other post compulsory education prior to their 19th birthday. Access is taken to include all planned aspects of the curriculum, including participating in academic, social, pastoral, physical learning, and assessments; socialising with peers and extra-curricular activities. We include access to educational opportunities in all settings: hospital school, home-schooling and original school of enrolment reflecting our practice knowledge of the range of settings in which children and adolescents with cancer may receive educational input across their illness trajectory. Since the specific timing for re-engagement with educational services seems to have received relatively little attention in research or practice, we are interested in access during treatment and post treatment. The varied diagnosis and treatment modalities are anticipated to be factors associated with access to education—for example children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (the most common type of childhood cancer) have a prolonged period (up to 3 years) of maintenance (lower intensity) therapy. Health care practitioners report return to original school of enrolment is often achieved during this period. For all children and adolescents, the intensity, treatment setting and associated treatment effects on well-being and capacity to access learning may be very variable and require a highly individualised approach. In addition, the bridging from hospital school, home-based schooling programmes to original school of enrolment may be a further factor for access.

The second concept for investigation through this scoping review is experience, which includes the perspectives of children and adolescents of all educational interventions they have received and their experiences of the absence of educational inputs. Recognising the overlap of the concepts of access and experience, we will include the experiences of the participant adults (parents, health care and education professionals) in facilitating and providing education for children and adolescents with cancer.

Finally, the context for this review will include studies, reports and policies from any country providing care and treatment for children and adolescents with cancer, which are published in English, as we are interested to obtain the broadest range of practices reported. In addition, we are aware of the strong international collaboration on clinical treatments for childhood cancer. We reflect the potential for psychosocial care including educational interventions to be shared in the same way.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria.

Inclusion criteria are studies, reports and policies that

Children and adolescents under 19 years old with a cancer diagnosis currently receiving treatment or post treatment completion, or

Parents of children with cancer who are under 19 years old with a cancer diagnosis currently receiving treatment or post treatment completion, or

Health care professionals—any professional providing care and treatment to children and adolescent with cancer in any setting (Specialist children’s cancer centre, local hospital, home, community and primary health, education), or

Education professionals—teachers, trainers, teaching assistants, school support workers, and special education staff, or

Focus on or include

Access to education in any format or setting for children and adolescents with cancer during and post treatment, or

The educational experiences of children and adolescents with cancer during and post treatment, or

The experiences of parents, and or health care and or education professionals in relation to facilitating access to education for children and adolescents with cancer during and post treatment, or

The experiences of parents, and or health care and or education professionals in relation to the ongoing provision of education for children and adolescents with cancer during and post treatment, or

Interventions to investigate and support access to education for children and adolescents with cancer during and post treatment, or

Interventions to investigate and improve the experiences of education in any setting or format for children and adolescents with cancer during and post treatment.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria are studies, reports and policies that

Only include

Adolescents diagnosed with cancer post compulsory school age (over 19 years) or their parents

Children under the age of 3 years diagnosed with cancer and currently receiving treatment or their parents

Parents of children with other long-term illness and or life-threatening conditions

Heath care professionals providing care or working in settings focused on the care and treatment of children with chronic and complex conditions other than cancer

Education professionals and educational provision focused on the care and treatment of children with chronic and complex conditions other than cancer

Education professionals addressing the educational needs of young people in post compulsory educational settings, including universities and apprentice courses

Are published in languages other than English

Focus exclusively on the educational attainment, performance or status of children and adolescents with cancer post treatment

Focus on cancer prevention through educational interventions in school or college settings

Focus on children and adolescents learning about their cancer diagnosis, care and treatment through educational interventions

Studies, reports and policies that focus on parents learning about their child’s or adolescent’s cancer diagnosis, care and treatment through educational interventions

Types of studies to be included

The scoping review will include empirical studies with quantitative, qualitative and or mixed methods data, published in English [ 33 ]. The review will include book chapters and conference proceedings. Guidelines, reports and policies produced by key childhood cancer societies, charities, Government and health authorities will be included. Information from blogs and social media accounts will be excluded.

Step 4: charting the data

We will chart the following data (where available) for all included publications into a Microsoft Excel file: the year of publication, country of origin, number, type and age range of participants, type of study, methodology, methods and theoretical orientation. For each paper, the study team will identify further factors to be charted. For example, childhood cancer diagnosis, stage of treatment and duration, number of years on or post treatment, school stage, intervention type and comparator if used, target and setting of intervention, mode of delivery, outcomes and measures used, and key findings as related to the review questions. Data about any cost and sustainability of services and the reach of intervention—national, regional, or single children’s cancer centre—will also be collected. Individual quotations, verbatim text and field notes will be selected with the respondents’ basic demographics, age, gender, diagnosis and treatment stage, where appropriate.

One team member will extract the data (PK), which will be checked by another member of the research team (GB). If there is disagreement between reviewers, a third author (FG) will review and a majority decision will be taken. Missing data will be highlighted. Attempts will be made to contact study authors by email, if necessary, to seek further information or clarification about their population, study design or results.

Data extraction forms will be designed by the research team and piloted on five studies from a varied selection. The format of the forms will be reassessed and revised if required to ensure all relevant data are being captured in a systematic and transparent way.

Step 5: collating, summarising and reporting the results

We will use a narrative synthesis approach to managing the data—with the aim to summarise and explain the findings of these studies. This will include a numeric overview of all literature findings included in the review, thematic analysis of qualitative data and summary statistics of intervention studies to summarise outcomes.

We will begin by creating a textual summary of data for each study with separate tables for qualitative studies, mixed methods studies, qualitative studies and policy/guidance documents. These summaries and their content will be reviewed by the research team to ensure that the planned approaches to developing a narrative synthesis from the range of literature included is robust and will result in a summary and explanatory narrative for a comprehensive and coherent presentation to the consultation group.

Basic numerical data will be analysed using descriptive statistics in Microsoft Excel software to show relevant frequencies and summarise the literature including trends in years of publication, percentages of studies per country, participant numbers per study (and total numbers), the breakdown of key groups with associated relevant factors, children and adolescents (age, diagnosis, education history), parents, education and health care professionals. Graphical illustrations will show the frequency of methods and methodologies used and the types, settings and outcomes of interventions.

Intervention studies will be reviewed as a group to determine if there are opportunities to assess outcome effects where sufficiently similar outcomes have been measured to warrant analysis of pooled effect. In the same way, types of interventions will be examined to explore the opportunities to interrogate further the impact of particular intervention types if the studies selected report a number of sufficient homogenous interventions. Initial examination of the literature in the field suggests that this may not be possible.

The authors will work together to analyse the narrative texts, quotations and field notes thematically using a constant comparative ethnographic approach as described by Emerson et al. [ 34 ] to ensure that contextual issues remain integrated in the analysis, this will be supported by qualitative data analysis software NVivo [ 35 ]. There will be an ongoing reflective component to the analysis by continuing to ask ourselves how our preconceptions are influencing this analytical process. The resultant analysis will consist of themes from the data illustrated by data extracts including quotations.

Thematic analysis of individual studies will be synthesised to map the interrelationships between children, parents, education and health care professionals to illustrate how the contexts of home, school and health care institutions shape access and experience of education for children and adolescents with cancer [ 36 ]. Visual data will be analysed using content analysis [ 37 ]. Data will be presented in tabular, diagrammatic and descriptive summaries. Summarising and identifying patterns in the data from the selected literature, we will create visual mapping documents and textual material including quotations for use in the consultation exercise.

Step 6: consultation exercise

We regard the inclusion of a consultation exercise as an essential planned component in this review. Recognising the unique and critical perspectives that service users and providers will bring to an examination of the published literature, as Manning et al. [ 38 ] have demonstrated in the environment of paediatric intensive care. The aim of the consultation exercise will be to review and discuss the findings of the scoping review in order to make recommendations for further research and dissemination. This consultation exercise will comprise focus groups and individual interviews and will provide an opportunity to check the validity of the findings and further elaborate their relevance for children and adolescents with cancer, their families and key professional groups.

The consultation exercise will be held as a hybrid physical and virtual event. Two face-to-face consultation events will be held in the UK in London and Newcastle, while an unrestricted number of online teleconference calls will take place via Zoom.

The locations selected host two of the UK’s largest paediatric oncology principal treatment centres, treating over 500 patients per year. Each centre provides treatment for all types of childhood malignancies providing a full range of treatment modalities up to the age of 24 years including long-term follow-up post treatment. In addition, the populations that access these centres are diverse in their ethnic, cultural, social and economic background. Access to interpreting and advocacy services to facilitate participation will be sourced [ 39 ]. Invited participants will be children at multiple stages of their treatment trajectory and their parents. Children will be included even if they have yet to have the opportunity to return to their original school of enrolment as well as those who have experienced school attendance following treatment.

All participants will be given a choice regarding how they would like to engage in the exercise. Children can elect to participate with their parents or in a separate children’s event at the physical venue or online. Two groups will be invited to take part: children and their families and professional groups delivering care, treatment and education to children with cancer. Children and adolescents previously or currently being treated for cancer together with their siblings and parents will be invited to take part. Families will be asked to identify and invite other members of their extended families and friendship circle who have had a role in the education of their ill child or their siblings. Invites for families will be sent to families via the primary treatment centre, circulated on social media and cascaded via children’s cancer charities.

Paediatric oncology health care professionals (including doctors, nurses, allied health care professionals, psychologists and social workers) and education professionals (including hospital school teachers, home school services, community school teachers, specialist educational support services) will be identified and invited to participate in focus groups. Further professional and stakeholder groups will be invited if the results of the study identify their roles as central factors in access and experience of education for children and adolescents with cancer.

The face-to-face sessions will operate on a ‘drop-in’ session basis with members of the research team available all day to meet with participants. Large gatherings will be avoided and social distancing rules will be followed. As we know that families do not want to make extra trips to the hospital, the face-to-face sessions will be held at accessible neutral venues away from the hospitals (pizza restaurants). Childcare and catering will be provided for attendees.

In both face-to-face and virtual sessions, child and adolescent participants, parents and professionals will be allocated to separate small focus groups for review and discussion of the results of the scoping review. Members of the research team will present a summary of the key findings to each group—this will include quotations from the qualitative literature and facilitate a discussion with participants on how these relate to their own experiences. Child and adolescent participants will be told about the results of the study, and the research team will prepare age-appropriate materials and activities to enable their views to be understood and captured [ 40 , 41 ]. All participants will be asked to identify challenges and priorities for future research on education for children with cancer during and post therapy.

With the permission of all participants, the focus group discussions will be audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. In addition, the authors will make notes from the focus groups and write up a reflective log immediately following the group. We will consult with the focus group participants on the dissemination approaches for the study to ensure that these include feedback to relevant stakeholder groups in addition to publishing the findings from the scoping review (incorporating the consultation exercise) in addition to presentation at conferences and publication in peer reviewed journals.

The consultation exercise will follow the principals of research ethics committee and information governance practice. Travel will be paid for all participants who take part in the face-to-face sessions. All participating family members will receive a £30 gift voucher as a thank you for taking part. This consultation exercise with families and professionals will provide an important space to examine the outputs from our scoping review: deemed a valuable approach to enrich the data and to increase the relevance of the results of a scoping review for policy and practice.

A diagnosis of childhood cancer has a wide-ranging and lifelong impact for both the patient and their family. The necessity of receiving treatment leads to breaks from school and even after treatment, absenteeism may continue to be an issue. Treatment-related side effects, such as cognitive deficits and fatigue can make acquisition and retainment of information difficult for some children and adolescents, and leading to lower educational attainment. Despite this, the educational experiences of children and adolescents during and after treatment has received comparatively little attention.

To our knowledge, no previous scoping reviews have been conducted on this topic. This review will bring together the literature about the access to and experience of education for children and adolescents with cancer and their families. As access to educational input is mediated by adults, parents, health care and educational professionals will also be included in this review.

While this scoping review will follow a rigorous method, we anticipate limitations to this review. Firstly, this scoping review is limited to outputs published in English, which may limit the completeness of the findings. However, the broad nature of the research questions, together with extensive searching of key journals, abstracts from major paediatric oncology conferences and cancer organisations, will still allow capture of a significant proportion of the literature available on the experiences of education for children with cancer. Secondly, since this is a scoping review, quality appraisals of included studies will not be conducted. It therefore cannot be determined whether they provide robust and generalisable findings. However, the inclusion of a consultation exercise will enhance the results of the review by incorporating the views of current service users and providers.

Any amendments to this protocol made during the review process will be recorded by the authors, together with the reasons for amendment. This information will be included when reporting the results of this scoping review. The results of this scoping review will be disseminated widely. In addition to traditional approaches to dissemination including published papers in open access health and education journals and presentations at both professional and lay conferences, a report will be distributed to all who have been involved in the consultation exercise, and other relevant stakeholders including established national childhood cancer networks for medicine nursing and allied health staff working in hospital and community settings. Educators who participate in the study will be asked for recommendations of local and national networks to include in distributing findings as widely as possible; recognising that those who attend our planned events, are likely to have been already involved in the care of children with cancer in their current education roles. This report will be produced in a variety of formats, including producing short reports in languages other than English, infographics and short videos. Both paper and online versions of our results will be produced. Social media approaches to dissemination will be maximised where appropriate.

Availability of data and materials

Not applicable

Abbreviations

Central nervous system

Open Science framework

Specific medical subject headings

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Ms Zoe Thomas Information Specialist at UCL for additional support and advice.

The consultation exercise component of this scoping review is supported by the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG) Late Effects project grant. This research was supported in part by the NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre. Funders had no involvement in the development of the protocol.

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Gemma Bryan & Faith Gibson

Louis Dundas Centre for Children’s Palliative Care, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, UK

Gemma Bryan

Centre for Outcomes and Experience Research in Children’s Health, Illness and Disability (ORCHID), Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, 37 Queen Square, London, UK

Paula Kelly & Faith Gibson

Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health Library, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, UK

Heather Chesters

The Children’s Hospital School at Great Ormond Street Hospital & UCH, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, Great Ormond Street, London, UK

Jayne Franklin

Clinical Health Psychology Psychological Medicine, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Children’s Psychological Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK

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School of Women’s and Children’s Health, UNSW MEDICINE, UNSW, Sydney, Australia

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Behavioural Sciences Unit, Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children’s Hospital, High Street, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia

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PK devised the initial idea for the project, PK wrote the initial draft of the protocol which was then additionally developed by GB. GB wrote the initial search strategy. HC provided expert guidance in further developing the search strategy and ran the initial searches. HC, JF, HG, LL, LL, CW and FG provided insight and comments on two drafts of the protocol. PK is the guarantor of the protocol. The authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Paula Kelly .

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Supplementary Information

Additional file 1..

PRISMA-P 2015 Checklist. A completed PRISMA-P checklist for the scoping review.

Additional file 2.

Draft Search Strategy for Medline. A draft search strategy to be used in the Medline database.

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Bryan, G., Kelly, P., Chesters, H. et al. Access to and experience of education for children and adolescents with cancer: a scoping review protocol. Syst Rev 10 , 167 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-021-01723-4

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Financial Aid & College Scholarships for Cancer Survivors

College is an exciting time of life filled with new experiences, knowledge, and relationships. Although it is expensive, childhood cancer patients and survivors have several college scholarship and financial aid options.

Many organizations provide scholarships for cancer patients and survivors. In addition, there are financial aid opportunities available for people with certain disabilities.

Some scholarships are available for family members of cancer patients. Be sure to check the application criteria for all scholarships.

Tips for successful scholarship applications

• Every scholarship is different. Read the application and the organization’s website carefully. Note the application deadline as well as contact information, application requirements, and ability to renew the scholarship each year. Don’t miss an opportunity because of a simple mistake.
• In general, applicants must provide a letter from a doctor stating the original diagnosis and the age the patient began treatment. Allow the doctor plenty of time to write the letter.
• Some applications may also request letters of reference from teachers, coaches, or employers. Ask these people in advance. Don’t wait until the last minute.

Every scholarship is different. Read the application and the organization’s website carefully.

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Many scholarship applications require an essay. Some will ask the same types of essay questions. You may be able to tweak an essay written for one scholarship to meet requirements for other applications.

Make sure to have someone knowledgeable about writing and grammar proofread your application and essay.

List of scholarships for cancer patients and survivors

The organizations that offer these scholarships are often funded by donations and endowments given in honor or in memory of other pediatric and young adult cancer patients.

Beyond the Cure

These scholarships are for childhood cancer survivors who have demonstrated the ability to overcome the difficult challenges of cancer with determination and motivation. Fifty-eight (58) $3,500 scholarships are awarded each academic year. The scholarship application period is from January – March of each calendar year.

Applicants must be:

• A childhood cancer survivor under the age of 25
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Visit the website for an application:

Beyond the Cure Ambassador Scholarship Program

Cancer for College

The website provides a number of different scholarship offers to different regions of the United States. Scholarship application period is November 1-January 31 each year. Applicants must be planning to attend a degree-earning program in the United States. Certain scholarships listed are relevant only for particular states. 

Applicants need:

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This organization provides services and support to young adults whose lives have been impacted by cancer and who have continued with their education throughout treatment or after their treatment. Each award is $1,000. Applications available in March. Deadline is May 15.

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The Ortlieb Foundation

The foundation was created to honor cancer survivor Evan Ortleib, who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma at age 16. Scholarships are awarded twice each year (spring and fall) and are valued at $1,000 each. The submission deadline for the spring semester is December 15, and the deadline for the fall semester is June 15.

Eligibility requirements include:

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Ortlieb Foundation Scholarship Application

Ronald McDonald House Charities

The network of U.S. chapters, along with the global office of RMHC, offers scholarships to students in financial need who have demonstrated academic achievement, leadership, and community involvement. Since 1985, more than $56 million in scholarships have been awarded.

Scholarships are awarded by local RMHC chapters.

Find Your Local RMHC Chapter

The Ulman Fund for Young Adults

Scholarships available to young adults affected by cancer through their own diagnosis or through the diagnosis of a parent or sibling. Applicants must be between the ages of 15 and 39 during the time of diagnosis/treatment. Recipients will be awarded a total of $2,500 over two academic semesters, paid directly to the recipient’s school. Deadline is March 1.

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Scholarship databases

Finaid: the smartstudent guide to financial aid.

This page contains information about scholarships for cancer patients, cancer survivors, children of a cancer patient or survivor, students who lost a parent to cancer, and students pursuing careers in cancer treatment.

FinAid Scholarships

The Samfund

Grants and scholarships provided by the Samfund cover a wide range of post-treatment financial needs, such as (but not limited to): rent and mortgage assistance; health insurance premiums; car payments, insurance, and repairs; continuing education and loans; gym memberships; and mental health expenses. This group is no longer accepting applications for undergraduate tuition, as they have in the past, but rather is focusing on other school-related expenses. Applications open in the spring.

Applicants need to:

• Be between the ages of 21 and 39
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Samfund Cancer Survivor Grants

Scholarship resources for students with physical disabilities

San francisco state university disability resource center.

The Disability Programs and Resource Center at San Francisco State University has compiled a list of scholarships for students of various disabilities. A chart lists the organization offering the scholarship as well as general information and a link to each scholarship page.

SFSU Disability Resource Center Scholarships

University of Washington Disability Resource Page

The University of Washington has put together a page with tips on searching for funding for students with disabilities. In addition to links to sites offering scholarships, it also discusses other ways students might find information on funding, such as vocational rehab and other state programs. Scholarships are listed by type of disability.

Scholarships for vision-impaired students

American council of the blind (acb).

This organization offers scholarships to legally blind student going to technical, undergraduate, or graduate school.  Scholarships range from $1,500-$7,500. Application deadline is February 15.

American Council of the Blind Scholarships

American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)

The AFB offers multiple scholarships to legally blind students. Application deadline is April 1.

Descriptions of the scholarships, as well as the online application can be found at the above website.

American Foundation for the Blind Scholarship

Council of Citizens with Low Vision International – Fred Scheigert Scholarship

This program awards 3 students an individual prize of $3,000 to full-time college students with low vision. Applicants must meet visual acuity and academic guidelines. Scholarship guidelines, application, and vision certification are offered on the website from January 1 to March 15 of each year. The scholarship application must be completed online. Selected finalists will be required to complete a phone interview with committee members. Chosen winners are expected to attend an annual meeting in conjunction with the American Council of the Blind National Convention (usually in July).

CCLVI Scheigert Scholarship

National Federation of the Blind (NFB)

The NFB offers 30 scholarships to legally blind students each year, worth from $3,000 to $12,000. The winner must participate in the NFB national convention in July and all its scheduled scholarship program activities. Assistance is available for convention needs. Application due in March 31.

• Legally blind in both eyes
• A resident of the United States or Puerto Rico
• Planning to attend postsecondary study in the United States

National Federation of the Blind Scholarship Program

Christian Record Services for the Blind

The Anne Lowe Scholarship is awarded to blind students based on academic achievement and citizenship. Applications must be submitted or postmarked by April 15.

Application information/requirements:

• Currently registered as a full-time student in undergraduate studies at accredited college or university in the U.S.
• Minimum 3.0 GPA
• Written essay
• 3 letters of recommendation from non-family members

Scholarship is distributed in two parts during the school year

Anne Lowe Scholarship — Christian Record Services for the Blind

Scholarships for hearing-impaired students

Sertoma – service to mankind.

This group offers scholarships to individuals with hearing impairments and communicative disorders. Scholarships are available in $1,000 amounts. Application deadline is May 1.

Qualifications:

• Must have a minimum 40dB bilateral hearing loss, as evidenced on audiogram by an SRT & PTA of 40dB or greater in both ears
• Must be a citizen of the U.S.
• Must be pursuing a bachelor’s degree on a full-time basis at a college or university in the United States
• Must have a minimum cumulative 3.2 GPA on a 4.0 unweighted scale
• 2 letters of recommendation
• High school and/or college transcript
• Recent audiogram from a hearing health professional (must not be any older than two years)
• Hearing loss on application must be verifiable from audiogram

Sertoma Scholarships

AG Bell College Scholarship Program

AG Bell Scholarships are for high-achieving students who have bilateral hearing loss that was diagnosed before age 4.

• Must be using listening and spoken language as your primary communication mode
• Must attend a mainstream university and working toward a four-year undergraduate degree or a graduate degree

Hydrocephalus

Hydrocephalus association.

Scholarships applicants must be  17 or older with hydrocephalus. The scholarship funds must be used for an educational purpose, including, but not limited to, a 2-year or 4-year college, a high school post-graduate year to prepare for college, technical or trade school, an accredited employment-training program, or a post–graduate program. Scholarships are $1,000 each.

Application opens in January and is due April 15.

Hydrocephalus Association’s Scholarship Program

Learning-disabled

National center for learning disabilities.

Scholarships are available for 2 graduating high school seniors with documented learning disabilities and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who are pursuing postsecondary educatoin.

National Center for Learning Disabilities Scholarships

• Epsilon Sigma Alpha (ESA)
• Sallie Mae Student Loans
• Federal Student Aid
• Financial Aid Scholarships

— Together does not endorse any branded product mentioned in this article.

— Reviewed: February 2020

College Classroom Accommodations

College and trade schools likely have services to help you when you need academic or physical accommodations for cancer-related problems. Sometimes cancer and treatment side effects can affect thinking and learning skills or your ability to get around from place to place.

Keep Up with School

Cancer treatment and side effects will likely disrupt your regular school schedule. Find resources to help you make the most of your education.

ACT or SAT Accommodations

Cancer patients may qualify for accommodations on ACT and SAT tests. Accommodations are changes made to the regular testing environment to allow people with disabilities to demonstrate their true ability on tests.

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Top Scholarships for Cancer Survivors in April 2024

Lisa Freedland is a Scholarships360 writer with personal experience in psychological research and content writing. She has written content for an online fact-checking organization and has conducted research at the University of Southern California as well as the University of California, Irvine. Lisa graduated from the University of Southern California in Fall 2021 with a degree in Psychology.

Learn about our editorial policies

Fighting and overcoming a serious, life-threatening disease like cancer is one of the hardest, yet most inspiring things someone can do. If you are already attending college or higher education is in your future, we compiled a list of vetted scholarships just for cancer survivors. 

Jump ahead to:

• Scholarships for cancer survivors 

Upcoming scholarships

How to win scholarships for cancer survivors.

• Frequently asked questions about scholarships for cancer survivors

If you are a cancer survivor and are looking to get some help affording college, keep reading to find out about the top scholarships for cancer survivors!  

Top scholarships for cancer survivors

Beyond the cure ambassador scholarship.

• Eligibility: Childhood cancer survivors under the age of 25 and diagnosed with cancer before the age of 18. Applicants must have been accepted into a postsecondary institution for the fall semester of the upcoming academic year
• Amount: Varies
• Deadline: April 1, 2024

Jennifer Casey Alderman Legacy Scholarship Award

• Eligibility: Young adults who have lost a parent to metastatic breast cancer or have financial hardship due to a parent currently living with metastatic breast cancer who wishes to seek higher education as a post-high school graduate. Applicants must be from Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, or Tennessee.
• Amount: $10,000
• Deadline:  April 15, every year

Han C. Choi Scholarship

• Eligibility: 1L or 2L law student who showcases outstanding academic prowess, exceptional leadership skills, and care for others. Special consideration will be given to applicants who have been adversely affected by cancer
• Amount: $5,000
• Deadline:  April 19, 2024

#RAREis Scholarship Fund

• Eligibility: Open to U.S. residents who have been diagnosed with any form of rare disease, regardless of treatment status. 
• Deadline: April 22, 2024

CURE – Cancer Support Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to current and incoming postsecondary students who have battled cancer and faced significant financial burdens as a result.
• Deadline: June 1, 2024

Chalik & Chalik Cancer Survivors Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to current and incoming postsecondary students who have overcome a serious illness and are dedicated to supporting others facing similar challenges.
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline:  August 15, 2024

See Also: Top Scholarships for Disabled Students or How to Get Scholarships for Hearing Impairment

Cancer for College Scholarship

• Eligibility:  Current and incoming postsecondary students in the U.S. who have been diagnosed with cancer
• Opens: November 1, 2024

Children’s Cancer Connection Empowering Scholarshi ps

• Eligibility: Individuals who have had (or have a sibling who had) cancer before age 18. Applicants must be also living or treated/diagnosed in the state of Iowa and be planning on a postsecondary institution

Mesothelioma.com Scholarship

• Eligibility: Those who have battled against cancer at any point in their life or those who have a loved one who has battled or is currently fighting cancer. Applicants must be enrolled full-time at a postsecondary institution and have a minimum 3.0 GPA
• Amount: $4,000

Michael A. Hunter Memorial Scholarship

• Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors, community college students, or 4-year university students who are Leukemia/Lymphoma survivors or whose parents are survivors. Applicants must be full-time students, have a minimum 3.0 GPA, and demonstrate financial need
• Amount: Between $2,000 and $5,000

Northwestern Mutual Survivor Scholarship

• Eligibility: Childhood cancer survivors under 25 years of age who are enrolled as full-time undergraduate students at an accredited university or vocational school (for the entire academic year). Applicants must have a minimum 2.5 GPA
• Amount: $5,000 

The Simon Cancer Foundation Scholarship

• Eligibility: Students enrolled in a four-year university within the U.S. in Fall 2022 with a minimum GPA of 3.5. Graduate students are also eligible to apply. All applicants must have had cancer at some point in their lifetime

As with any type of scholarship, scholarships for cancer survivors are highly competitive. It’s important to craft applications that stand out from the pack if you want to earn money to put towards your education.

One of the best ways to do this is by doing some reflecting before you begin writing. Think about how you grew as a result of your experience with cancer and any lessons you learned. Cancer is a terrible ordeal to go through, and it leads to a lot of loss and tragedy. However, it’s a good idea to use your application to emphasize how you grew as a result of this struggle, and how you hope to use the strength you exhibited throughout the process as you go on with life.

Remember, scholarship providers are looking for applicants who are going to make a positive change in the world. Don’t spend too much of your application talking about the struggle you went through. Talk about your plans and hopes for the future.

Writing effective essays

Once you’ve done your reflection, it’s time to sit down and start writing. We’ve got a host of guides to help you through the writing process. These include guides on starting and ending scholarship essays, writing essays about yourself , and writing a winning scholarship essay . We can also help you tailor your writing to 250 or 500 -word limits. Good luck!

Frequently asked questions

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Childhood Cancer Essay?

I was treated for bone cancer for nearly a year. I missed most of the freshman year and started out in special ed classes and then worked my way up to AP and honors classes.

I want to go to NYU and be on a pre-med track.

I have a 3.56 GPA. About 1200 on the SAT. I will have only taken AP bio and AP physics senior year. I started taking honors science classes junior year and then took all honors and AP senior, (besides pre-cal)

I wrote my essay on my struggles with cancer and how I overcame the mental aspects.

Will colleges be understanding?

To be honest: you’re only 2 years out… I think I would hesitate.

But I did want to congratulate you… I’ve been on that road and it’s brutally hard. Congrats on beating both the physical and the mental aspects of the monster.

Yes, I think they will be. You have to be careful to focus on what you learned from the experience, not on its effect on your grades. They’ll get it. It is also something your guidance or college counselor should write about for you.

Don’t specifically write about the grades but how it has shaped you. My child wrote an essay about an activity that she loved and how it made her feel when she was feeling at her worst. Basically it freed her from the misery while her mind was elsewhere. It was not about her being sick but between the lines you would know. Her counselor knew the situation and surely gave more details. It seemed to work.

Yes, you can write about your experience, being sure to focus on something that shows something positive about your personality. Your experience was huge, so writing about it makes sense. Not that you are not entitled to sympathy, but you want your essay to be about your personality and what you learned about either yourself or others or the world through the experience… and implicit in that, how it will help you contribute to the college community.

The other option is to let your guidance counselor discuss the cancer and your progress from special ed to AP classes, while you write about something else altogether. It is up to you.

Your story is inspirational, and I would think that a lot of colleges will be mightily impressed.

Best of luck to you with both health and college applications!

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Survivor scholarship, pcrf scholarship opportunities.

The 2024-2025 Survivor Scholarship is now closed.

Since 2017, PCRF has been granting survivors of pediatric cancer with PCRF Scholarship Awards. These scholarships are awarded to undergraduate and/or post-graduate students nationally as a demonstration of our commitment to improve quality of life for those affected by pediatric cancer. In 2023, we proudly awarded over 100 scholarships. Meet a handful of our recipients below:

Aleksandra Smith

Briannya Evans

Catherine Rowan

Dylan Davis

Gabriela Riquino

Hannah Blume

Krista Anderson

Margaux Hickman

Mateo Ocampo

Ryan Danyluk

William Jetton

Pict ured: Robert Zimmer

Robert J. Zimmer Ph.D. College Opportunity Fund

“Since 2017, I have been reading the personal stories of these young applicants.  I have been humbled and touched deeply by their strength, courage, perseverance, resilience, compassion, and faith.  Little did I know that childhood cancer can have lasting effects on children’s memory and attention, creating academic challenges to higher learning.” -Robert J. Zimmer (Pictured with his daughter, Kellie)

The Robert J. Zimmer Ph.D. College Opportunity Fund recognizes and affirms their victory over cancer. 

Eligibility

Applicants for this scholarship award must:.

• Be graduating high school seniors, community college students or 4-year university students who have been treated for pediatric cancer. If awarded, a note from the treating doctor must be supplied to certify that the applicant has been in treatment.
• Be students who are enrolled full-time for the upcoming academic year.
• Have a minimum 2.5 GPA.

Scholarships will be awarded & granted for the total amount in the PCRF Scholarship Fund for that year. The total amount granted each year will vary. Scholarships range from $500 to $2,500. Recipients are selected without regard to race, color, creed, religion, gender, disability, or national origin.

Selection of Recipients

The Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation (PCRF) Scholarship Committee will review applications and assess them based on the quality of the essay, intentions of the scholar, and the completeness of the application. Winners will be notified by early summer.

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Scholarship Opportunities for Survivorship and Oncology Patients

Childhood cancer survivorship program.

Below is a list of scholarship opportunities for you to consider.  Not all of them will be useful to you.  Some of them are disease specific or only available to people in certain geographic areas.  Others are not cancer specific, but may still be worth exploring.  If you find that any of the information is out of date or if you discover other opportunities not listed here, we would appreciate it if you would let us know so that we can update our information.  We would also love to hear if you are successful in obtaining any of these scholarships.

Please email Jess Nambudiri, Oncology Patient Resource Navigators at [email protected] with any updated scholarship information.

• If you are now followed in CHOP’s Cancer Survivorship Program and need a Letter of Recommendation, you can email your provider directly.  Survivorship Providers: Jill Ginsberg, MD , Wendy Hobbie, CRNP , or Dava Szalda, MD .
• If you are not yet seen in the Survivorship Program, please contact your social worker for help with a Letter of Recommendation.  Good Luck With Your Search!!

Cancer-related scholarship opportunities

American cancer society.

Contact: 1-800-227-2345

The American Cancer Society does not provide student scholarships at this time. But you can contact them to learn of scholarship resources that might be available in your geographic area.

Brain Injury Survivors Grant Program: Educational Award

Contact: 202-659 0122, [email protected]

Eligibility requirements: Must be a graduating high school senior with an acquired brain injury who is planning on continuing his/her education beyond high school. This may include a two-year college, four-year college, or other professional/trade school. Applicants will be accepted from March 1 to May 31 of the year in which they graduate high school.

Financial award: (1) $500 award; can be used towards tuition, books, or other necessary supplies (e.g. computer).

Contact: 202-659-0122, [email protected]

Eligibility Requirements: Must be a graduating high school senior with an acquired brain injury who is planning on continuing his/her education beyond high school. This may include a 2 year college, 4 year college, or other professional/trade school. Applicants will be accepted from March 1st to May 31st of the year in which they graduate high school.

Financial Award: (1) $500 award. Can be used towards tuition, books, or other necessary supplies (i.e. computer).

The Brian Morden Memorial Scholarship

Contact: [email protected]

Eligibility Requirements: Applicants should be US citizens and a high school graduate.  Their higher education course of study should include either music, some aspect of technology, or medicine.   While this scholarship was established in honor of a young man who lost his battle with Ewing’s sarcoma, you do not have to be a cancer survivor to apply—though cancer survivors are given special consideration.

Financial Award: The maximum award for an individual scholarship is $1000.

Cancer for College

Contact: 760-599-5096, [email protected]

Eligibility Requirements: Must be a US resident enrolled in an accredited university or community college. (For the purpose of the application, if you are an incoming freshman, you do not have to be already enrolled in college to apply. Please include the names of the schools you have applied to on the application. You must be enrolled at the time of award.) Must be a cancer patient/cancer survivor. Need tax forms from previous year of parents and applicant, letter from university stating applicant is in good standing, last 2 years of transcripts, diagnosis letter, 2 recommendation letters, and total cost of attendance. *Graduate students may apply as well*

Financial Award:   Awards are typically $5,000 each.

Cancer Survivors’ Fund

Contact: 281-437-7142, Mike Yonter, [email protected]

Eligibility Requirements: The applicant must be a cancer survivor or currently diagnosed with cancer, enrolled in or accepted for enrollment in an accredited undergraduate school. The applicant must submit two recommendation letters from two different academic teachers. Must also submit an essay discussing the following question: How has my experience with cancer impacted my life values and career goals?  The applicants must agree to do volunteer work to use their cancer experience to help other young cancer patients and survivors coping with a life threatening or life-altering event.

Financial Award: Exact amount not specified

The Canuso Foundation (Villanova University Scholarship)

Contact: 856-857-0065

Eligibility Requirements: The Canuso scholarships are for Villanova students who are experiencing financial stress due to their own or a family member’s illness.  To be eligible, students must contact the Villanova Office of Financial Assistance and let them know about the family’s situation.  The financial aid counselor will assist the student in applying for the scholarship.

Financial Award:  Varies each year

Childhood Cancer Survivor College Scholarship — The EVAN Foundation

Contact:   [email protected]

Eligibility Requirements:  The Evan Lindberg & Erik Ludwinski College Scholarship Program is open to high school seniors who are survivors of high-risk cancers or currently in treatment.  Students must be enrolled in a 4 year undergraduate institution and demonstrate a need for financial assistance. Financial Award:  Two (2) awards of $2,500 are available in 2022. Applications are accepted from March 15 to May 1, with winners announced July 1.  Grants are awarded for a period of one year and may be renewed annually upon proof of continued eligibility and available funding.

Eagles Fly for Leukemia

Contact for Kim Hill Scholarship: Trish Fluvio, [email protected] , 484-433-7767

Contact for St. Joseph’s University Full Tuition Scholarship

Contact for Drexel University Full Tuition Scholarship

Eligibility Requirements: Current high school seniors or currently enrolled college students (Kim Hill awards only) who have battled or are currently battling cancer.

Financial Awards:   Kim Hill Scholarships ($3000 each); 1 full-tuition St. Joseph’s University Scholarship 1 full-tuition Drexel University Scholarship

Site provides information about scholarships for cancer patients, cancer survivors, children of a cancer patient or survivor, students who lost a parent to cancer, and students pursuing careers in cancer treatment. You will find many links here for individual scholarship opportunities as well as information on other types of financial aid that are available. Over 30 applications available.

Friends of Scott Foundation

Contact: 619-993-2917, [email protected]

Eligibility Requirements: California Residents only. Applicants must be cancer patients or survivors who are enrolled or accepted into an accredited college or university. *Graduate students may apply as well.

Financial Award: Scott Delgadillo Scholarship Program- multiple awards. Exact amount not indicated.

Hydrocephalus Association

Contact: 888-598-3789, [email protected]

Eligibility Requirements: Applicants must be 17 or older and have hydrocephalus. Scholarship funds must be used for an educational purpose: a two- or four-year college, a high school post-graduate year to prepare for college, technical or trade school, an accredited employment-training program or a post-graduate program.  The scholarship funds may be used for tuition, books, housing or an expense directly related to the education experience. One letter of reference is required.

Financial Award: (11) scholarships of $1,000 each

Jackie Spellman Scholarship Foundation

Contact: 888-553-JSSF (5773),  [email protected]

Eligibility Requirements: Open to U.S. citizens who have been impacted in some way by leukemia or lymphoma, either as survivors, individuals diagnosed with leukemia or lymphoma, or individuals who have a member of his or her immediate family who have or had leukemia or lymphoma while living in the same household. Eligible students include high school seniors or those attending community college, a four-year university or graduate school. Student must have a minimum un-weighted 3.0 GPA.

Financial Award: Scholarships of $5,000 are awarded to approximately 12 students annually. The scholarship funds will be paid directly to the college or university for tuition and fees.

John Foy & Associates Strong Arm Leukemia Scholarship

Contact: Audrey Buchanan,  [email protected]

Eligibility Requirements: Applicant must be a college student who has battled leukemia or whose life has been affected by it. Must be enrolled in an accredited college or university as an undergraduate or are an incoming freshman at an accredited institution in the United States.

Financial Award: (1) $1,000 award

Julia’s Grace Foundation Scholarship: “Think About What You Are Going To Do in the Future”

Contact: [email protected]

Eligibility Requirements: This scholarship program is open to childhood cancer survivors and their siblings (siblings of survivors or those who did not survive). Scholarship awards may be used for post-high school training program or education and are open to residents of Montgomery, Bucks, Lehigh, Chester, Delaware, Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania and Burlington, Camden, Mercer counties in New Jersey. Patient must be under age 25 and must have been diagnosed (or sibling diagnosed) prior to age 21. The completed application and supporting documents must be submitted by March 1, 2024.

Financial Award: Five (5) scholarships of $1,000 are available.

Karen Baker Scholarship Fund

Eligibility Requirement: Applicant must be directly impacted by cancer, either by illness of applying student or immediate family member. Must graduate from a Chester County high school with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, with plan to attend a four-year accredited college.

Financial Award: (1) $5,000 awards per academic year of college attendance, for four consecutive years, totaling $20,000. Yearly award contingent on college student maintaining a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) or better.

Kisses for Kyle Foundation – Scholarship Program for Graduating High School Students

Contact: 267-210-1489, [email protected]

Eligibility Requirements: Applicants must be a childhood cancer survivor under the age of 25 and diagnosed before the age of 18. Applicants must reside in the Delaware Valley; be accepted to college or university and plan to enroll this fall; have a proven record of excellence that demonstrates the ability to succeed in college and maximize the opportunity offered by this Scholarship; and pursuing a major that will prepare them for a career in a field that helps children facing cancer.

Financial Award: Scholarships of up to $5000 per year will be awarded to students and are renewable for up to an additional three years. The final amount of each scholarship will be determined based on financial need and status as a full-time or part-time student. This is a competitive application process; not all applicants will receive a scholarship. Scholarships will be awarded on an annual basis as funding is available.

LLS Scholarship for Blood Cancer Survivors

Contact: [email protected]

Eligibility Requirements: Candidate must be a blood cancer patient or survivor diagnosed at age 25 or younger; a United States citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. or a U.S. territory; must submit an LLS verification form; and be attending or planning to attend virtual or in-person vocational, two-year, or four-year undergraduate education in the U.S. Applicants can be full-time or part-time students. The scholarship cannot be used towards graduate level programs.

Financial Award: $7,500 to cover tuition for virtual or in-person vocational, two-year, or four-year undergraduate education for the 2023-2024 academic year for blood cancer patients and survivors.

Marna Pal Memorial Scholarship

Contact: 732-861-3473, Jess Pritchard with questions: [email protected]

Eligibility Criteria: Student must be between the ages of 17-24 years old. They must be attending a two- or four-year college or university to receive the award. The student must have experienced cancer themselves or had a sibling or parent who experienced cancer. The student must live and/or attend school in New Jersey.

Financial Award: $1,000 scholarships to be awarded. Exact number of awards not indicated.

Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Scholarship

Contact:   [email protected] (For questions, use the subject line: Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Scholarship)

Eligibility Requirements: Applicant must have battled cancer at any point in their lives, not limited to mesothelioma or those who have a parent, sibling, immediate family member or close friend that has battled or is currently fighting cancer. Applicant must be enrolled full-time in an accredited two-year or four-year University, community college, junior college, or a graduate degree program. Applicants must be in academic “good standing” and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher to be eligible.

Financial Award: (1) $4,000 award

Mesothelioma Help Scholarship Essay Contest

Eligibility Requirements: This essay contest is open to undergraduate and graduate students who are 18-years-old or older and are currently enrolled in a college or university located within the 50 United States or the District of Columbia. U.S. territories are excluded.

Financial Award: Scholarship prizes are: 1st - $2,500, 2nd - $1,250, 3rd - $750, 4th - $500

Michael’s Way Scholarship Program

Contact: (215)-591-9198, [email protected]

Eligibility Requirements: Student must have received a pediatric cancer diagnosis prior to age 18, must reside or have received treatment in the Delaware Valley, and plan to be enrolled in college or accredited trade school located within the United States in the 2022-2023 school year.

Financial Award: Five (5) scholarships of $5,000 are available.

The Michael A. Hunter Memorial Scholarship

Eligibility Requirements: Graduating high school senior, community college and four-year university students who are Leukemia/Lymphoma patients and/or are children of non-surviving Leukemia/Lymphoma patients. Must have a minimum GPA of 3.0, enroll as a full-time student, and have financial need.

Financial Award: Individual awards range from $2,000-$3,000

National Children’s Cancer Society – Beyond the Cure Scholarships

Contact: Pam Gabris, 800-532-6459, ext. 215, [email protected]

Eligibility Requirements: Applicant must be a survivor of cancer or a high grade or anaplastic brain tumor under the age of 25 and diagnosed before the age of 18, a citizen of the United States, and accepted into an accredited post-secondary institution. Must maintain an overall 2.5/4.0 GPA.

Beyond the Cure Ambassador: Same as above, agree to volunteer for NCCS 15 hours, full-time status student, letters of acceptance to school, and submit grades regularly.

Financial Award: Fifty-eight (58) $3,500 scholarships will be awarded each academic year.

National Collegiate Cancer Foundation (NCCF) 

Contact: 240-515-6262, [email protected]

Eligibility Requirements:   Cancer survivor or current patient with a personal diagnosis, between the ages of 18-35, US citizen or permanent resident seeking or receiving higher education. Applicants will be evaluated based on six items:  “Will Win” attitude with respect to his or her cancer experience; quality of essays; quality of recommendations; overall story of cancer survivorship; commitment to education and financial need. 

Legacy scholarship program: Lost parent/ guardian to cancer. Same application process as above.

Financial Award: $1,000; multiple awards per year

Northwestern Mutual Foundation Childhood Cancer Survivor Program

Contact: 507-931-1682, [email protected]

Scholarship Committee Scholarship America One Scholarship Way Saint Peter, MN 56082

Eligibility Requirements: The Northwestern Mutual Childhood Cancer Survivor Scholarship program assists cancer survivors, age 25 and under, in continuing their education and pursuing their college dreams. To apply, students must be U.S. citizens who are cancer survivors, age 25 or under, and planning to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school. Applicants must have a minimum 2.5 GPA and demonstrate financial need. For more information or to apply, please visit the scholarship provider's website.

Financial Award: 25 scholarships of $5000 are available.

Northwestern Mutual Childhood Cancer Sibling Scholarship

Eligibility: To apply, students must be U.S. citizens and siblings of individuals who are in current treatment, have survived or passed away from pediatric childhood cancer. Applicants must be age 25 or under and planning to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school for the entire upcoming academic year. Applicants must have a minimum grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale (or the equivalent) and demonstrate financial need.

Financial Award: Ten scholarships of $5,000 each are available.

Orange County Community Foundations

Contact:   [email protected]

Site provides information about scholarships for cancer patients, cancer survivors, and students who lost a parent to cancer. You will find many links here for individual scholarship opportunities as well as information on other types of financial aid that are available. Over 50 applications available.

Patient Advocate Foundation "Scholarships for Survivors" Program

Contact: Ruth Ann Reed, 1-800-532-5274 [email protected]

Eligibility Requirements: Applicant must be legal residents of the United States under the age of 25 who has been diagnosed with or treated for cancer and/or a chronic/life threatening disease within the past 5 years. Applicant must be pursuing a Bachelor’s degree or higher.  Once awarded, recipients must maintain a 3.0 GPA, be a full-time student, and complete 20 hours of community service per year that the scholarship is awarded.

Financial Award: $3000 annually up to four consecutive years, payable in equal amounts of $1,500 directly to the recipient’s university or college

The SAMFund (Surviving and Moving Forward) 

Contact: 617-938-3484, [email protected] 

Eligibility Requirements: A young adult cancer survivor is considered eligible when he/she is between the ages of 21 and 39 at the time of application; a resident of the United States; and when he/she meets ONE of the following criteria: Completed planned treatment with no evidence of disease; one year following the completion of planned therapy with stable disease; or on long-term hormonal therapy (such as Tamoxifen for breast cancer survivors) or on long-term targeted therapy (such as Gleevec or Herceptin). A “Good Candidate” can demonstrate he/she has financial need as a direct result of his/her cancer experience; has needs that are immediate; and lacks resources/other sources of support.

Financial Award: The SAMFund no longer awards scholarships for undergraduate tuition; however, undergrads who meet the eligibility requirements can apply for grants for other expenses (e.g., medical bills, school books, computers, etc.). Grants provided cover a wide range of post-treatment financial needs including (but not limited to): health insurance premiums, rent/mortgage assistance, car payments, insurance, or repairs, continuing education and loans, family-building expenses, gym memberships, and mental health expenses. The average grant amount is typically in the $1,500 - $2,000 range.

Sandra M. Glazier Scholarship Fund

Contact: 609-219-1800,  [email protected]

Eligibility:  Student must have a parent who has been or is afflicted with cancer, or must be battling cancer him/herself. Student must be graduating from a high school in either Ocean or Monmouth County, New Jersey. Student must be accepted as a full-time student at an accredited college, university, or vocational school. A variety of factors will be considered as part of the evaluation process, including financial need, academic excellence, community service, extracurricular activities, leadership and work experience.

Financial Award:  One scholarship totaling up to $20,000 is awarded annually, paid out in amounts of up to $5,000 per year for up to four years. A 2.5 GPA average or better must be achieved throughout the term of the scholarship.

Sophie Malaviya Memorial Scholarship

Contact: [email protected]

Eligibility:  Candidate must be graduating high school senior with cancer diagnosis, or a cancer survivor, have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and a citizen or permanent resident of the United States.  Candidates must also be enrolled in a 2- or 4-year undergraduate program or professional/trade school.

Applications are due by May 31, 2024. Candidates will be notified by July 31, 2024 with the status of their application. The application form can be downloaded from silkentwinecharity.org and the completed application can be emailed to [email protected] .

Financial Award:  One or two scholarships will be awarded for $1,000. Scholarships will be paid directly to the recipient’s school.

The Valerie Fund Scholarship

Contact : 973-761-0422

Eligibility Requirements: The Valerie Fund Scholarship Program grants monetary rewards to current and former patients of the Valerie Fund for post high school graduation educational expenses such as tuition, fees and books.  Patients are encouraged to apply for both the general and named scholarship programs. Awards will be reviewed with an emphasis on academic achievement, determination and motivation, community involvement, and financial need.

Financial Award:  Scholarships range from $1,000-$10,000+ dollars.

Scott J. Reisser Memorial Scholarship

Contact: 914-238-8384

Eligibility Requirements: This is a one-time scholarship for brain or spinal cord tumor survivors who have been admitted to, or is currently attending a two- or four-year college or vocational program. The applicant must also reside in the NY, NJ or CT metropolitan area around New York City.

Financial Award: $5,000 awards are funded by the Reisser Family and Making Headway Foundation.

The Simon Cancer Foundation: Harvey Simon Memorial Scholarship

Contact: 954-288-8455,  [email protected]

Eligibility Requirements: Applicants must be enrolled in a 4-year university or college in the United States. Past scholarship winners of The Simon Cancer Foundation are not eligible to reapply. Applicants must sign an affidavit verifying they have had cancer during their lifetime. Applicants are evaluated according to their unweighted GPA (30%), display of leadership (30%), engagement in extracurricular activities (20%), and their response to an essay question (20%).

Financial Award: Exact award amount not specified

Special Love for Children with Cancer (Kay-Moore Scholarship Fund)

Camp Fantastic

Contact: 1-888-930-2707

Eligibility Requirements: To be eligible for this scholarship, the applicant must be or have been a participant of at least one camp-based program sponsored by Special Love, Inc. The student must be currently undergoing treatment or be off treatment for cancer.

Toby Merrill Scholarship

Eligibility Requirements: The specific criteria used to select recipients will be a combination of the following:

• Academic performance in high school, requiring a minimum 2.5GPA in high school
• Athletic Awards and level of participation
• Recommendations by references
• Elected positions of leadership or awards received for community involvement
• Financial need based on household income or deceased, ill parents/guardians
• Personal interviews

Financial Award: $9700 per year renewable for four years if student remains in good academic and citizen standing at the college.  If the student is receiving financial aid, please note that accepting a Toby Merrill Scholarship may reduce the aid.

The Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation Scholarship

Contact: 904-543-2599 (Headquarters)

NY/NJ applicants can contact Kerry Miller, [email protected]

North FL/South GA applicants can contact Rita Malie, [email protected]

Eligibility Requirements:   Applicants must have had a cancer diagnosis prior to the age of 21. Applicants must be enrolled, or be planning to enroll, full time in an accredited college or university. Applicants must reside within specific coverage areas in NY, NJ, FL, and GA. Applicants must be a permanent resident of one of specified counties in each state. To learn which counties, visit the website listed above.

Financial Award:   Annual award of $2,000 yearly for up to four years

Transplant Recipients International Organization (TRIO)

Contact: 1-800-874-6386,  [email protected]

Eligibility Requirements: Must be a solid organ or bone marrow candidate, recipient, donor, or an immediate family member (defined as parent, child, spouse or sibling). Must be a TRIO member, to join you can go to www.trioweb.org . Must have a GPA of 2.5 or above. Must have financial need and provide a current transcript. Must use scholarship award for continuing education at an accredited college, university or trade/technical school certificate program.

Financial Award: TRIO will be awarding several non-renewable $1,000 scholarships. The award will be sent directly to the institution in the student’s name.

Pacific West Cancer Fund Scholarships

This website lists information about scholarships for cancer patients, cancer survivors, children of a cancer patient or survivor, students who lost a parent to cancer, and students pursuing careers in cancer treatment.

Scholarships.com

Provides links to numerous cancer foundations that have created scholarships for cancer survivors. List is updated regularly. On this site, you may also conduct a free college scholarship search. Your search will automatically be updated if new scholarship matches are identified for you.

Other scholarship opportunities (not cancer specific)

Americorps national and community service program.

Contact: 1-800-942-2677

Eligibility Requirements: Anyone who completes a term of service within a 12-month period, in one of the following programs, is eligible to earn the education award: AmeriCorps NCCC, AmeriCrops State and National, AmeriCorps VISTA.

Financial Award: Full-time members who complete their year of service receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award up to the maximum value of the Pell Grant for the award year in which the term of service is approved, to pay for college, graduate school, or to pay back qualified student loans; members who serve part time receive a partial Award. Award amount varies by type of student (i.e. full-time, half-time). Exact amounts are indicated on website.

Anne Ford and Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarships

Contact: 1-888-575-7373, [email protected]

Eligibility Requirements:   Anne Ford: Graduating high school senior with a documented learning disability and/or ADHD, overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on a 4 point scale (or equivalent); demonstrate financial need; be a U.S. Citizen; be enrolled as a senior in high school with the intention of pursuing a 4-year undergraduate degree. 

Allegra Ford Thomas: Be a graduating high school senior with a documented learning disorder who is planning to attend a 2 year community college, trade/vocational school, or specialized LD program, participates in school and community activities, and demonstrates financial need.

Financial Award:   Anne Ford - $10,000 ($2500 for 4 years), Allegra Ford Thomas - $2500 (one-time)

Benjamin Gilman International Scholarship (for Study Abroad)

Institute of International Education 1800 West Loop South, Suite 250 Houston, TX 77027

Eligibility Requirements: US Citizen undergraduates who are receiving Federal Pell Grants, applying to or accepted into a study abroad or internship program approved by the student’s university.  Students must be studying in the same country for at least 3 weeks, or 2 weeks for current community college students, and the country may not be in the State Department’s Travel Warning list (level 3/4 on Travel Advisory). The Gilman Scholarship Program aims to support students who have been traditionally under-represented in study abroad, including but not limited to, students with high financial need, community college students, students in under-represented fields such as the sciences and engineering, students with diverse ethnic backgrounds, and students with disabilities.

Financial Award: Up to $5000, over 2,900 awards each year.  Additional Critical Needs Language awards of $8000 are awarded to students studying certain languages.

Coca Cola Scholars Foundation

Contact: 1-800-306-COKE (2653),  [email protected]

Eligibility Requirements:  Current high school (or home-schooled) seniors attending school in the United States (or select DoD schools); U.S. Citizens; U.S. Nationals; U.S. Permanent Residents; Temporary Residents (in a legalization program); Refugees; Asylees; Cuban-Haitian Entrants; or Humanitarian Parolees; Anticipating completion of high school diploma at the time of application; Planning to pursue a degree at an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution; Carrying a minimum 3.00 GPA at the end of their junior year of high school.  Applicants may NOT be children or grandchildren of employees, officers or owners of Coca−Cola bottling companies, The Coca−Cola Company, Company divisions or subsidiaries.

Financial Award:   Coca-Cola Scholars awards $20,000 scholarships to 150 students, Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team awards fifty $1,500, fifty $1,250, and fifty $1,000 scholarships, and Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise awards a $1,000 scholarship to 180 students.

Disability Scholarships

Website that provides links to a variety of scholarships for people with a wide range of disabilities (learning, physical disabilities, chronic health conditions). Amount of financial award varies by scholarship. There is a great deal of money out there for students with disabilities. This is an excellent place to launch your search for a scholarship that may apply to your specific issue.

National Amputation Foundation Scholarship

Contact: 516-887-3600,  [email protected]

Eligibility Requirements: College bound high school students or those currently in college.  Scholarships awarded to students with a major limb amputation (loss of limb beginning at or above the wrist or ankle).  Not limited to cancer survivors.  Applicants must provide a letter from an attending physician (on letterhead) confirming major limb amputation; letter from the college confirming that the student will be (or is) attending the school as a full-time student; copy of the students transcript or letter confirming the student is in good standing; a short letter (not more than one page) explaining how the loss of a limb has affected the applicant’s life; proof of American Citizenship (birth certificate or naturalization papers); and the student’s school ID number.

Financial Award: Exact amount awarded not indicated

Princeton Area Community Foundation

Contact: 609-219-1800

Eligibility Requirements:   Each scholarship has different requirements; see website for details.

Financial Award:   Scholarships of differing amounts awarded to residents of Mercer County, NJ

Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) National Scholarship Program

Questions about application process:  855-670-4787

Contact: 630-623-7048, [email protected] or  [email protected]

Eligibility Requirements: Must be under 21 years of age, a high school senior, eligible to attend a two- or four-year college, university, or technical school with a full course of study, be a legal U.S resident, and live in a participating local RMHC Chapter's geographic area.  Past recipients are not eligible to apply.  Not limited to cancer survivors.  Four scholarships awarded: RMHC Scholars, African American Future Achievers Scholarship, Asian Students Increasing Achievement Scholarship, and the Hispanic American Commitment to Education Resources Scholarship. While the specific eligibility requirements for each scholarship vary, all are awarded based on academic achievement, financial need, community involvement, and personal qualities and strengths as portrayed in a required essay. 

Financial Award: Multiple awards per year awarded by local RMHC chapters

ZipRecruiter

Eligibility Requirements: At the conclusion of the specific Entry Period for each quarterly scholarship, you must (i) be a legal resident of one of the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia, (ii) be 18 years of age or older (or at least the age of majority in your jurisdiction of residence), and (iii) be enrolled as a student at an accredited high school, college or university in the United States.

Financial Award:   $3,000 awarded.

Other scholarship resources and databases

Federal student aid information center.

Contact: 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243)

Federal Student Aid's core mission is to ensure that all eligible individuals benefit from federal financial assistance—grants, loans and work-study programs—for education beyond high school. This website allows you to learn about and apply for all forms of federal aid, and manage federal loans.

The George Washington University HEATH Resource Center

Contact: 202-994-1000, [email protected]

The HEATH Resource Center is an online clearinghouse on postsecondary education for individuals with disabilities. The HEATH Resource Center gathers, develops and disseminates information in the form of resource papers, fact sheets, website directories, newsletters and resource materials. It focuses on topics in the areas of disability, counseling, transition and postsecondary education.

National Grace Foundation

Contact: 401-793-6337

The National GRACE Foundation provides FREE college admissions and financial aid counseling to pediatric cancer patients and survivors.

General scholarship matching databases

On the websites listed below, scholarship seekers can be matched with scholarships that they qualify for.  They also offer general advice about choosing schools, tips for winning scholarships, and helpful information about careers and internships.

• The College Board  — Helpful articles on financing your college education.
• Fastweb  — A free internet search engine for state financial aid resources. It also offers other resources such as reading materials about applying for different types of scholarships, grants, and government funding
• Scholarships.com  — A free internet search tool for college scholarships.
• Scholarship Workshops  — List of scholarships available for high school students planning to attend college. 
• U.S. Department of Education, Office of Secondary Education — Highlights available government resources and the application process.

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NCBI Bookshelf. A service of the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.

Institute of Medicine (US) and National Research Council (US) National Cancer Policy Board; Hewitt M, Weiner SL, Simone JV, editors. Childhood Cancer Survivorship: Improving Care and Quality of Life. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2003.

Childhood Cancer Survivorship: Improving Care and Quality of Life.

• Hardcopy Version at National Academies Press

6 Assuring Appropriate Educational Support Services

Going back to school or work following cancer treatment can signal a return to normalcy. Some survivors of childhood cancer are, however, left with persistent late effects of treatment that may interfere with their ability to receive an education or obtain gainful employment. Neurocognitive deficits, functional and sensory limitations, and symptoms such as fatigue are examples of late effects that can hamper educational and vocational success. Prolonged absence from school during illness may also slow educational progress and keep survivors from advancing to higher grade levels along with their peers.

This chapter first briefly reviews the prevalence of school-related disabilities among survivors of childhood cancer. Next, programs are described that are designed to assist cancer survivors and their families in reentry into school following treatment. The chapter concludes with a brief review of federal laws that protect the educational and employment rights of individuals with disabilities. This chapter draws heavily upon a review of educational issues for children with cancer published in 2002 (Leigh and Miles, 2002). In addition, two background papers commissioned by the Board were helpful in preparing this chapter, “Cognitive Late Effects of Childhood Cancer and Treatment: Issues for Survivors,” by F. Daniel Armstrong, and “Policy Recommendations to Address the Employment and Insurance Concerns of Cancer Survivors,” by Barbara Hoffman ( www.iom.edu/ncpb ). See Chapter 4 for a review of cognitive late effects, their implications for school achievement, and the limited research on interventions to ameliorate cognitive late effects.

• DISABILITIES AMONG SCHOOL-AGE CANCER SURVIVORS

An estimated 5.5 percent of school-age children and adolescents (age 5 to 17) in the general population have chronic health conditions or impairments that contribute to an inability to attend school at all (0.6 percent), a need for special school or classes (3.7 percent), or a limitation in the amount of school attendance (1.2 percent) (Wenger,1995). There are few estimates of the proportion of survivors of childhood cancer with limitations that may affect school performance. Educational outcomes among survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and central nervous system (CNS) tumors have been assessed because they are generally exposed to treatments that can affect neurocognitive function (see Chapter 4 ). These cancers make up about 50 to 60 percent of newly diagnosed cases of childhood cancer and so, represent a significant share of the survivorship population. The largest study of educational outcomes to date suggests that ALL survivors have lower grades, enroll in special education or learning disability programs at three to four times the rate of their siblings, and when enrolled in such programs, spend a longer time in them as compared with their siblings. ALL survivors are also at higher risk of missing school for long periods and of repeating a year of school. On the other hand, most ALL survivors had rates of high school graduation, college entry, and college graduation that were similar to those of their brothers and sisters. Only survivors treated with 24 Gy of cranial radiation and those diagnosed at a preschool age were at higher risk for poor educational performance (Haupt et al., 1994) (see Chapter 4 and Table 4.3 for details of this study). The cohort of survivors treated in the 1970s and 1980s were at especially high risk for school-related problems because many of them were treated with 24 Gy of radiation. Few children with ALL now receive doses of cranial radiation this high, but the effects on school performance of treatment regimens common in the 1990s that relied on higher doses of chemotherapy have not yet been determined.

Among the general population, an estimated 11.2 percent of school-age children (age 6 to 17) are enrolled in federally sponsored special education programs (Department of Education, 2001). 1 Roughly 30 to 40 percent of ALL survivors would be expected to be in special education programs if the three- to fourfold increase in use of special educational programs among survivors of ALL documented by Haupt and colleagues can be applied to survivors treated after the mid-1980s (Haupt et al., 1994). Other survivors of childhood cancer may not experience neurocognitive late effects, but need special accommodations because of physical limitations that impede participation in school-related activities. Irrespective of education placement upon reentering school following diagnosis and treatment, childhood cancer survivors and their families, teachers, and classmates can benefit from special transition services.

• SCHOOL REENTRY INTERVENTIONS

Children are often absent from their regular school during periods of treatment and generally receive at least some educational services at home or in the hospital. School districts nationally vary tremendously in their guidelines for providing such services, the amount of weekly teaching provided (from a few hours per week to daily contacts), and in the preparation and familiarity of teachers in these settings to meet complex educational needs during limited teaching contacts. A child's educational experience may lack continuity if he or she goes back and forth between hospitalizations and home and/or school over the course of treatment.

A return to their familiar school and classmates following treatment can be a long- awaited event, but can also raise fears about peer teasing or the ability to resume a pre-cancer level of activity and function. A school with 500 to 1,000 students may have a student with cancer enrolled every few years, but given the rarity of new cases of childhood cancer, most teachers would not be expected to be familiar with the physical and psychosocial issues related to childhood cancer. Teachers may become more familiar with these issues as the number of childhood cancer survivors increases.

Organized educational programs for teachers and classmates have been successful in reducing problems associated with school reentry (Leigh and Miles, 2002). A well-defined and planned hospital/school program is necessary for hospitals, according to the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) Working Committee on Psychosocial Issues in Pediatric Oncology (Masera et al., 1995). Programs vary in their approaches, but a general plan for school reentry has been described ( Box 6.1 ).

Phases of School Reentry for Children with Cancer. Phase 1: Initial hospitalization and plans for reentry As a first step, a hospital-based school liaison should be identified soon after diagnosis to work with parents as an advocate for the child and (more...)

Children may experience emotional, behavioral, or social problems at school reentry, may have physical needs (e.g., related to fatigue, mobility problems), and may have cognitive effects of treatment (Loman and Vincent, 2002). Children at highest academic risk include children with CNS-involved disease, a history of school problems, numerous or extended absences, and children who speak English as a second language (Loman and Vincent, 2002). Relatively little is known about the availability of school reentry programs, but a survey conducted from November 2001 through spring 2002 of 238 Children's Oncology Group (COG) institutions (55 percent response rate; 130 institutions) indicates that fewer than half of responding institutions (42 percent) had a formal program and roughly half (52 percent) had some services. Most programs had support from the hospital or department (54 percent) and from donations or grants (20 percent). Programs often provided (Loman and Vincent, 2002):

• home tutoring,
• communication between school, medical team and family,
• education for parents and children regarding going back to school,
• school staff consultation at the time of reentry,
• advocacy information for parents and individual education plan (IEP) help,
• neuropsychological evaluations, 2
• individual or family therapy, and
• class presentations.

Another study of support services available to cancer survivors within National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer centers found only 7 of 37 (19 percent) centers with school re-entry programs (Tesauro et al., 2002).

Most of the school-based educational programs that are responsive to the needs of survivors of childhood cancer are in place following the enactment of federal laws to protect the educational and employment rights of individuals with disabilities.

FEDERAL LAWS AND PROGRAMS 3

Three federal laws protect the educational and employment rights of individuals with disabilities:

• the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1975 and IDEA amendments of 1997 support states to ensure the provision of free appropriate public education of children with disabilities (age 3 to 21);
• the Rehabilitation Act (section 504) provides a broader set of protections for individuals of all ages with disabilities to ensure that discrimination does not occur within any program in receipt of federal funds.
• the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination of persons with disabilities of all ages in both public and privately supported agencies and business and requires that persons with disabilities receive reasonable accommodation.

These laws apply to every level of education, from preschool to college and vocational education. Although these laws are federal, local and state governments interpret and implement them differently (Root et al., 1993). Any services needed by children in school, such as special education or classroom accommodations, have to be identified in a formal written plan according to specifications in the IDEA or in section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The written, signed plan protects affected children's rights and provides documentation needed by parents if the services are not provided appropriately.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.) establishes a federal grant program to assist states in providing children with disabilities with a “free, appropriate public education which includes special education and related services, to meet the unique needs of all disabled individuals between the age of three and 21” (34 Code of Federal Regulation [CFR], Sec. 300.1[a]). Special education is defined as “specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parents, to meet the needs of a child with a disability” (34 CFR, Sec. 300.17). Special education includes services ranging from simple classroom accommodations in a regular classroom to all-day placement in a resource room environment to instruction in the home, hospital, or other institution. Related services refers to transportation, corrective, and other supportive services that are required for children with a disability to benefit from special education. These include audiology and speech pathology, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, recreation, counseling services, school health services, social work services in schools, and parent counseling and training (34 CFR, Sec. 300.16). Available classroom accommodations may include use of a scribe or tape recorder to take notes, shortened class or homework assignments, provision of information instead of copying from a board or book, preferential seating, more time for tests or written work, oral testing, and permission to leave class early to avoid accidental injury caused by travel through crowded hallways. Although schools are not required to provide all medical services, they must provide certain medical services that are necessary to implement the IEP. For example, a child who uses a catheter is entitled to the services of a school nurse or other trained personnel to help keep the catheter clean during the school day.

Education must be provided in the least restrictive setting and where possible, school districts are required to provide children with disabilities an education in the regular classroom setting. To receive special education services under provisions of the IDEA, children must meet criteria for classification under at least one of several categories: mental retardation, hearing impairment, vision impairment, speech or language impairment, serious emotional disturbance, autism, deaf-blindness, traumatic brain injury, specific learning disability, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, or multiple disabilities. Most children with cancer are eligible for services under the category “other health impairment,” defined as “a child who has limited strength, vitality, or alertness due to chronic or acute health problems, such as heart condition, tuberculosis, rheumatic fever, nephritis, asthma, sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, epilepsy, lead poisoning, leukemia, or diabetes which adversely affects educational performance” (34 CFR, Sec. 300.7). A physician often completes a form to verify the diagnosis, treatment, and related impairments to facilitate the eligibility determination process. Eligibility for services are, in part, determined by evaluations of aptitude and achievement. Eligibility for IDEA services under the category specific learning disability requires a discrepancy of one standard deviation (15 points) between measured intelligence quotient and measured academic achievement. For children treated for cancer, this discrepancy may not show up for years and for that reason, many children with cancer receive services under the IDEA category “other health impairment” or under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (see discussion below). These categories for eligibility do not require the use of a discrepancy score.

Under IDEA, reassessments are made every three years. However, evidence suggests that neurocognitive testing to identify deficits following treatment of ALL or CNS tumors should be conducted more frequently with the timing and intensity of testing determined by the child's age at the time of treatment, interval since treatment, and anticipated potential areas of difficulty based on typical developmental trajectories (Armstrong, 2002). Thus, for some children, evaluations every 12 to 18 months may be necessary during periods of rapid development, and for others, evaluations every 2 to 3 years may be adequate during periods of less rapid development. Although a psychologist with expertise in the appropriate psychometric tools may be needed to administer and interpret these tests, third party payers usually do not cover the cost of testing outside of the school system.

If a child is determined to be eligible for services, an individual education plan (IEP) is designed by a multidisciplinary group of school staff, parents, and sometimes, the child. After the IEP is signed by all participants at the meeting, it becomes a legal document that, by law, the state must carry out as written. The goals and objectives of the IEP are reviewed annually, and the IEP is rewritten if necessary. Every 3 years, the child is reassessed. Beginning at age 14, each student's IEP must include specific transition-related content and beginning no later than age 16, a statement of needed transition services. Transition services are defined as “a coordinated set of activities for a student, designed within an outcome-oriented process, that promotes movement from school to post-school activities, including post-secondary education, vocational training, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation. The coordinated set of activities must be based on the individual student's needs, taking into account the student's preferences and interests; and must include needed activities in the areas of instruction, community experiences, the development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives and, if appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation” (34 CFR, Sec. 300.29).

The IDEA also mandates early intervention services for infants and toddlers who are either disabled or at risk of developmental delays. These services are provided either by school systems or by the state health department.

Parents have specific rights under IDEA, including a request for review and modification of the IEP. This can also be requested by the school system. The school system is required to attempt full implementation of the IEP, but there are no specified consequences for non-implementation. Parents have a right to seek a legal remedy to ensure compliance with the IEP. Anecdotal reports suggest that satisfaction with the IEP process and related services is highly variable, and depends on the level of cooperation provided by the school, the school system's awareness of cognitive impairment in children with cancer, and resources available to provide the necessary interventions (Hoffman, 2002). Accessing special education services under IDEA can be a complex undertaking and some parents benefit from training to become an educational advocate for their child. Parental advocacy skills are critical, especially when families live far from their child's treating facility or when parents need to overcome language and cultural-related difficulties in negotiating through complex school programs. The Department of Education supports parent centers in each state that provide training and information to help parents participate more effectively with professionals in meeting the education needs of children and youth with disabilities ( www.taalliance.org/PTIs.htm , accessed March 15, 2003). Cancer centers may also provide parent training on the basics of special education services, how IEPs should be tailored to the specific needs of their child, how to appeal limitations on educational services offered to a child, and how to get help from organizations such as Candlelighters and local legal aid societies when services are designated but not provided, or provided in an ineffective manner. In some areas, ombudsman programs are available to provide an advocate to attend the IEP session with a parent to help negotiate for needed services.

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (re-authorized in 1998) “clarifies that no individual with a disability in the United States, shall, solely by reason of his or her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance or any program or activity conducted by any Executive agency” (34 CFR, Sec. 104.4). Program or activity is defined as including “all operations of a local education agency, system of vocational education, or other school system.” This law applies also to colleges, universities, and private schools that receive federal funds. Under the provisions of this law, the definition of disability is broader: “a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of such person's major life activities, such as learning; a record of such an impairment; or being regarded as having such an impairment.” The pertinent disability is not required to affect school performance adversely, and affected children do not have to come under the umbrella of special education to receive services. All persons at any age with diagnosed cancer are eligible to receive services under section 504. For affected children to receive services, a meeting similar to that for an IEP is conducted, and the needed services are written in the form of what is called a 504 plan. Unlike the IEP process however, a 504 plan is not monitored for compliance and does not have to be reviewed annually.

In addition to stipulating conditions in academic settings, the Rehabilitation Act prohibits discrimination in employment practices; program accessibility; health, welfare, and other social services; nonacademic and extracurricular activities, including clubs; counseling services; transportation; and health services.

Americans with Disabilities Act

The ADA of 1990 provides a wider range of protection for all persons with disabilities. It prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities and applies to all state and local agencies (not just those receiving federal funds), including private businesses. The ADA mandates that no individual with a disability shall be excluded from participation in public services or programs, such as higher education (42 U.S.C. 12132). The ADA not only prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities, but requires that persons with disabilities receive “reasonable accommodation.” Its provisions apply to education, including non-sectarian private schools. It provides a second layer of protection, in addition to section 504, to ensure that public schools provide reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. For example, a university may be required to provide a sign-language interpreter to a cancer survivor who has a hearing loss as a result of treatment. Additionally, the institution may not discriminate on the basis of the student's disability. For example, a survivor who has respiratory fibrosis may not be required to complete the same physical educational standards required of other students.

How effective are special education programs in addressing the needs of childhood cancer survivors? Unfortunately, there are no data to document specific outcomes (e.g., maintenance of developmental trajectories or improvement in functioning) for childhood cancer survivors who are provided with standardized access to special education services. Intervention studies are underway to assess programs designed to improve neurocognitive outcomes among survivors of childhood cancer (Armstrong, 2002). These interventions include improving the academic and social reintegration of children into the school setting; training parents to be more effective advocates for their child's educational needs; and evaluating specific behavioral, medical, and compensatory interventions.

• SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

School-related disabilities among survivors of childhood cancer may include learning disabilities and functional limitations. There are no good estimates of how many childhood cancer survivors need accommodations at school, but among certain groups of survivors, the need appears to be very high. There is, for example, a three- to fourfold increase in the use of special education services among survivors of ALL, which likely translates into a third to a half of such survivors needing special education programs. Survivors at higher risk for neurocognitive late effects require monitoring for long-term neurocognitive deficits that may arise in the years following treatment. More needs to be learned of the educational needs of other groups of childhood cancer survivors and of the effectiveness of interventions designed to ameliorate the late effects of cancer and its treatment.

Many cancer centers have school programs to ease the return of childhood cancer survivors to school following their treatment. Ideally, planning for school reentry begins at diagnosis and involves a school liaison to ensure that educational environments are supportive and can accommodate any late effects. The school liaison's role may include following the educational progress of survivors through transitions to college, employment, or vocational programs. Support to teachers and classmates may also be provided following the death of a child from cancer.

Three federal laws protect the educational and employment rights of individuals with disabilities: IDEA, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the ADA. IDEA supports states to ensure the provision of free appropriate public education of children with disabilities. The Rehabilitation Act provides a broader set of protections for individuals of all ages with disabilities, to ensure that discrimination does not occur within any program in receipt of federal funds. The ADA prohibits discrimination of persons of disabilities in both public and privately supported agencies and business and requires that persons with disabilities receive reasonable accommodation. Of most direct relevance to children with cancer and their families is the IDEA and the protections afforded by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. While legal protections appear to be comprehensive, required procedures are implemented and legal interpretations are made locally. Consequently, among parents, satisfaction with accommodations at schools varies, depending on the school's level of cooperation, awareness of cognitive impairment in children with cancer, and resources available to provide the necessary interventions.

• Armstrong D. F. 2002. Cognitive Late Effects of Childhood Cancer and Treatment: Issues for Survivors (IOM commissioned background paper) ( www.iom.edu/ncpb ).
• Haupt R, Fears TR, Robison LL, Mills JL, Nicholson HS, Zeltzer LK, Meadows AT, Byrne J. 1994. Educational attainment in long-term survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia . JAMA 272(18):1427-32. [ PubMed : 7933424 ]
• Hoffman B. 2002. Policy Recommendations to Address the Employment and Insurance Concerns of Cancer Survivors (IOM commissioned background paper) ( www.iom.edu/ncpb ).
• Leigh LD, Miles MA. 2002. Educational Issues for Children with Cancer . Pizzo PA, editor; , Poplack DG, editor. . Principles and Practice of Pediatric Oncology . 4th ed. Philadelphia: Lippicott Williams and Wilkins. Pp.1463-76.
• Loman P, Vincent N. 2002. School Reintegration: Current Trends and Future Directions . Presentation at a meeting of the Children's Oncology Group, St. Louis, MO (October 2002).
• Masera G, Jankovic M, Deasy-Spinetta P, Adamoli L, Ben Arush MW, Challinor J, Chesler M, Colegrove R, Van Dongen-Melman J, McDowell H, et al. 1995. SIOP Working Committee on Psychosocial Issues in Pediatric Oncology: guidelines for school/education . Med Pediatr Oncol 25(6):429-30. [ PubMed : 7565303 ]
• Root H, Deasy-Spinetta P, Fiduccia D, et al. 1993. Protection of Children's Educational Rights . Deasy-Spinetta P, editor; , Irvin E, editor. , eds. Educating the Child With Cancer . Bethesda, MD: The Candlelighter's Childhood Cancer Foundation.
• Tesauro GM, Rowland JH, Lustig C. 2002. Survivorship resources for post-treatment cancer survivors . Cancer Pract 10(6):277-83. [ PubMed : 12406049 ]
• U.S. Department of Education. 2001. Twenty-Third Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Act . Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.
• Wenger BL, Kaye HS, La Plante MP. Disabilities Among Children . 1995. Disability Statistics Abstract No. 15 . Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research.

The percentage of school-age children enrolled in federally sponsored special education programs (11.2 percent) is higher than the earlier mentioned estimate of children and adolescents with a chronic health condition or impairment and a disability related to schooling (5.5 percent). Many children enrolled in special education programs have learning disabilities that may not have been considered a chronic health condition or impairment in the survey from which the lower estimate was derived.

Neuropsychological evaluations were provided by nearly two-thirds of institutions.

Much of this section is excerpted directly from the chapter in Principle and Practices of Pediatric Oncology , “Educational Issues for Children with Cancer” (Chapter 50) by Leigh and Miles (2000).

• Cite this Page Institute of Medicine (US) and National Research Council (US) National Cancer Policy Board; Hewitt M, Weiner SL, Simone JV, editors. Childhood Cancer Survivorship: Improving Care and Quality of Life. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2003. 6, Assuring Appropriate Educational Support Services.
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