Healing Journey Scholarship
Scholarship Sponsored by Schiller Kessler Group
Introduction
The Schiller Kessler Group has long supported people facing major medical challenges and understands how difficult it can be to have a diagnosis acknowledged and to rebuild life afterward. To help students who have experienced similar life-changing medical diagnoses, the firm is offering a new award to recognize resilience and the lessons learned along the way.
Award
The Healing Journey Scholarship will provide a $2,500 award to one undergraduate or graduate student who has received a life-changing medical diagnosis. Applicants are invited to share their personal journeys and explain how their diagnosis altered their outlook and daily life.
Important deadline
All application materials must be submitted by August 31, 2026. Incomplete or late submissions will not be considered.
Who may apply
- Open to undergraduate and graduate students in any field of study.
- Applicants must be enrolled in or accepted to an accredited college, university, or graduate program in the United States.
- Applicants must be at least 18 years old at the time of enrollment and be U.S. residents.
- Applicants should be in good academic standing.
- Applicants must provide basic personal and academic contact information as part of the application.
How to apply
1. Complete the application form on the scholarship page.
2. Upload your essay in PDF format to the submission portal. Name your file using this format: “[Scholarship Name and Year] – [Student Name].”
3. Do not include medical records or detailed personal health documents. However, applicants who falsify or misrepresent a medical condition will be disqualified.
Essay topic and length
Write an original essay (maximum 1,000 words) describing how a medical diagnosis changed your life. You might address how the diagnosis affected your body, emotions, schooling, relationships, and any advice you have for others facing similar challenges. The selection committee is looking for genuine, personal reflections about your healing journey.
Formatting and required elements
- Double-spaced, 12-point font, and one-inch margins.
- Save and upload the essay as a PDF.
- Include a clear, original title.
- Add a bibliography and citations if they are relevant.
- Include a header with:
- Your full name
- Your student ID number
- The scholarship name (The Healing Journey Scholarship)
- The name of the institution you plan to attend
- The mailing address of that institution’s financial aid office
- The financial aid office’s email address and phone number
Originality and AI statement
- Essays must be wholly original and based on a real medical diagnosis. Fabrication or misrepresentation of a diagnosis is grounds for immediate disqualification.
- The use of AI tools to generate or substantially draft the essay is prohibited. Submissions produced with AI will be removed from consideration. Please submit work written in your own voice about your own experience.
Eligibility exclusions
You are not eligible to apply if any of the following apply:
- You are an employee of The Schiller Kessler Group or the child of an employee.
- You are a previous recipient of The Healing Journey Scholarship.
- You would be unwilling or unable to participate in an interview with a firm representative if selected.
- You submit the same essay that you have entered for other scholarships or that you have submitted in prior years.
Selection process and notification
- The selection committee will only review complete applications received by the August 31, 2026 deadline.
- The committee may take up to three months to evaluate submissions and choose a winner. Please do not contact the firm for updates during this review period; inquiries about the scholarship cannot be answered while selections are underway.
- Decisions will be made without regard to age, race, religion, gender, national origin, familial status, or other protected characteristics.
- The winner will be notified by email. The Schiller Kessler Group will also publish the recipient’s name in a blog post and press release.
Terms and conditions summary
By applying, you confirm that you meet the eligibility requirements listed on the application page and that your submission abides by the scholarship rules above, including originality and truthful representation of your medical history. Failure to comply with these terms may result in disqualification and rescission of any award.
If you have questions about the application process (not the status of submitted applications), consult the scholarship page for guidance before the deadline.