TACA Talk About Curing Autism - Help, Hope and Support - Support

Family Scholarship Program

Raising a child with autism is expensive and we would like to help families in need.

Purpose:

The TACA Family Scholarship Program was developed to help families who are pursuing treatment for their children with autism, but are struggling to find the funding. We understand how difficult it is to stretch the family budget to include things like, DAN! doctors, independent evaluations or conference registration. It is our desire to provide limited financial assistance to qualified families.

Eligibility:

Families must meet the criteria below to be eligible to receive assistance from the TACA Family Scholarship Program.

DAN! Conference Scholarship and Other Scholarships Criteria:

Have one or more children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.
Be a TACA member (Membership is free. You may join at your local TACA meeting or online)
Have a combined annual household income of less than $65,000. (Applicants with higher household incomes will be considered, but priority will be given to those below $65,000.)
Reside in the United States and have a US mailing address.

DAN! Doctor Scholarship Criteria:

Be a TACA member for at least 6 months (sign up online, it’s FREE!)
Attend a TACA meeting or New Parent Seminar. If a New Parent Seminar is not available nearby, we ask that you watch the DVD. (This can be loaned to families in need.)
Have a Parent Mentor for at least 2 months – Parent Mentors are available in person, on the phone or via email.
Have a combined annual household income of less than $65,000. (Applicants with higher household incomes will be considered, but priority will be given to those below $65,000.)
Reside in the United States and have a US mailing address.
Join the TACA-USA Yahoo! Group

Available Scholarships:

TACA will provide financial assistance to families with a child with autism for the following:

Initial DAN! doctor appointment

Families can apply to receive funding for an initial appointment and one follow-up appointment with a DAN! doctor. As part of the application process the family must chose a DAN! doctor and confirm the costs of an initial visit and follow-up. If travel is required the applicant family must provide a breakdown of travel (airfare may be obtained through Miracle Flights or Autism Escapes with a doctor’s referral) and accommodation expenses
Follow-up appointment with current DAN! doctor.

Families can apply for a follow-up appointment for their current DAN! doctor. The application would need to include cost breakdown for the appointment and the date of the last appointment.
Lab work – as recommended by a DAN! doctor. Application would need to include information on the cost breakdown of the lab work being requested and the contact information for the preferred Lab.
Independent Assessment with a licensed/credentialed professional (Speech, OT or Educational Assessments with report). Families can apply for an independent assessment with a licensed/credentialed professional to assist in the pursuit of services. Availability of this category is dependent on funding. Contact Moira Giammatteo for application availability 949-640-4401 ext 107.
DAN! Conference Scholarship (registration, hotel and airfare) – You and a buddy can apply to attend a DAN! Conference. TACA requests that the two attendees be from two different families. Scholarship recipients will be required to share a room at the conference, and may be needed for volunteer duties while at the conference. Availability of this category is dependent on funding. Contact Moira Giammatteo for application availability 949-640-4401 ext 107.

NOTE: Payments, once authorized, are NOT made directly to the family, but are instead paid on the family’s behalf directly to the vendor who is providing goods and services. Please understand vacations, trips to Disneyland and other similar events are not selected for funding.

Deadline:

Applications will be accepted on the 15th of every month. This is a RECEIVED BY deadline and NOT a postmark deadline. In other words, completed applications must be received in the TACA offices by the 15th in order to be eligible. Applications will not be accepted via fax, incomplete applications will not be considered.

Funding permitted, grants will be awarded 7 days after the end of the month.

Forms (all are PDFs):

Family Scholarship Application - DAN! Doctor

Family Scholarship Application - DAN! Doctor (Sample)

Family Scholarship Application – Other - Contact Moira Giammatteo for application availability 949-640-4401 ext 107.

Family Scholarship Application – Conference - Contact Moira Giammatteo for application availability 949-640-4401 ext 107.

Frequency:

The TACA Family Scholarship Program is not meant to fund on-going services. There are restrictions with this funding through TACA. Once an application is approved, TACA will fund only one request per family per year through the Family Scholarship Program. Families can also apply for holiday assistance through the TACA Adopt a Family Program for a total of two separate TACA programs per year.

Application Process:

To apply for a TACA Family Scholarship, please download an application. Applications are generally reviewed once a month, funds permitting. Assistance will be based on the needs of the family and the availability for funds. Applicants who have not received funds from TACA previously will be given highest priority. However, TACA reserves the right to provide assistance more than once to the same family. The amount of assistance will vary, depending on availability of funds. Please do not call to check on the status of your application. You will be notified as soon as possible about our decisions. Only formal written applications will be accepted. Applications will not be accepted via fax, incomplete applications will not be considered.

Documentation:

When applying for a TACA Family Scholarship, you most provide:

Completed and signed application.
A letter from your doctor or other proof indicating your child’s diagnosis.
Date you joined TACA.
Previous year’s tax return (both tax returns if you are married filing separately are required if you are married.)
Current year’s pay stub showing year to date income for all house hold income workers.
Total cost breakdown for what is being requested.
Depending on the nature of your request, additional information may be required.
Please note that, in order to comply with state and federal law, TACA reserves the right to follow up with the family to ensure the assistance was successfully used for its intended purpose.

Conclusion:

Not every family who applies for the TACA Family Scholarship will receive funding. Our Scholarship Application Review Committee volunteers will award the scholarships each month. This process of selection will depend upon the number of applications received in a given month, the applicant’s unique circumstances, and the amount the TACA Family Scholarship Program has available to make the best decision possible.

Contributions:

Individuals wishing to make a tax-deductible donation to the TACA Family Scholarship Program can donate online, call TACA at (949) 640-4401 or mail a donation to: TACA Family Scholarship Program, 3070 Bristol, Suite 340, Costa Mesa, CA 92626-7346.

For more info, please also see:

PAGE OPTIONS

Printer Friendly Page •