#RAREis Scholarship
Scholarship Sponsored by EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases
Living with a rare condition often brings distinct obstacles — frequent medical appointments, complex treatment schedules, hospital stays, and greater infection risk. Advances in diagnosis and care have extended and improved many lives, but people with rare diseases still encounter barriers to reaching common life goals. To help address this, the EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases created the #RAREis Scholarship Fund to support adults with rare diseases in pursuing educational opportunities.
With funding from Amgen, the EveryLife Foundation will award one-time scholarships of $5,000 each to as many as 58 recipients in 2026. Applications were accepted between March 17 and April 28, 2026, closing at 2:00 PM Eastern.
Eligibility
- Age and residency: Applicants must be at least 17 years old and reside in the United States.
- Diagnosis: You must have a physician’s diagnosis of any rare disease, regardless of whether you are receiving treatment. A Diagnosis Verification Form completed by a physician is required; applicants without a confirmed diagnosis may still apply if a physician completes the Verification Form on their behalf. A Spanish version of the Diagnosis Verification Form is available.
- Education plans: Candidates must intend to enroll, full- or part-time, in undergraduate or graduate-level study at an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical/trade school for the Fall 2026 term. There is no minimum credit-hour requirement to qualify as part-time. Participation in non-degree or certificate coursework is permitted; applicants do not have to be pursuing a formal undergraduate or graduate degree.
- Definition of “rare”: For this program, a disease is considered rare if it affects fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. If you are unsure whether your condition meets this definition, consult resources such as the NIH’s Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD) and the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD).