Lime Connect Pathways Scholarship for High School Seniors

What you will need

• ✓ Account registration and login for The Lime Network
• ✓ General background information, including contact details and intended college or university
• ✓ Resume or CV
• ✓ One essay answering a question about living successfully with a disability
• ✓ For Finalists only: reference information for a teacher, advisor, supervisor, or youth leader by April 28
• ✓ For Finalists only: letters of recommendation by May 5

About this award

You can receive a $1,000 USD prize. This is a scholarship, not a loan, so you do not have to pay it back. This is for you if you have a visible or invisible disability and are finishing your final year of high school. 2026 applications are now closed, and no dates are posted yet for the next cycle. Check Lime Connect's page, or join The Lime Network, to hear when applications open. For reference, in the 2026 cycle all applicants heard their status in mid-April, finalists submitted reference information by April 28 and letters of recommendation by May 5, and final decisions came in July 2026. Multiple students are selected for this award each year based on merit, though Lime Connect will also consider your financial needs. Selection criteria aren't published — ask Lime Connect how winners are chosen and roughly how many applicants they typically receive so you can judge your odds. Ask Lime Connect during your application how the money will reach you — some awards pay students directly, others apply funds to tuition. Confirm this so you can plan your cash flow. Renewal conditions aren't listed — if you're counting on this for multiple years, confirm with Lime Connect whether it's one-time or renewable and what you need to maintain.

Who qualifies

These are the criteria Lime Connect posted for the 2026 cycle, which is now closed. To qualify, you must have, or consider yourself to have, a visible or invisible disability. Lime Connect defines this as a long-term or recurring issue that impacts one or more major daily functions, including cases where others perceive that a disability exists. You must be a current high school senior in the U.S. or Canada graduating in the Spring or Summer of 2026. Additionally, you must be accepted to, or have applied and be awaiting acceptance to, a 4-year university or college in the U.S. or Canada for the 2026-2027 academic year, and you must intend to be enrolled full-time in that 4-year university or college in Fall 2026.

This is what the award's official page said when we last checked. Rules change, so confirm on the award's official page before you apply.

• ✓ Open to high school students

How to apply

1. 1

   Read the award's official page

   Check you meet every requirement, and note each document they ask for.

2. 2

   Ask for reference letters2 weeks

   Give your referees at least two weeks' notice, and send them your résumé.

3. 3

   Write your essay

   Be specific about what you did and what changed because of it. Proofread it twice.

4. 4

   Check this year's deadline

   We don't have a confirmed date for this round. The award's official page will have it.

Tips for applying

• EssayAvoid writing a generic summary of your medical history. Instead, focus your answer on the specific experience of living successfully with a disability. Describe one concrete way you have adapted to overcome a challenge.
• ReferencesAvoid submitting your reference information too early. Instead, wait until you are selected as a finalist, as Lime Connect only prompts for teacher, advisor, or youth leader details at that stage.
• StrategyAvoid leaving your Lime Network profile incomplete. Instead, ensure your contact information and intended college details are current, as you can log back in at any time to update your profile.
• RealismAvoid assuming this is a guaranteed fund. Instead, remember that while multiple students are selected, the award is merit-based and competitive. Prepare your resume and CV well in advance to stand out.

Questions students ask

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