Four University of Texas students who are affected by spinal cord injury have been tapped to receive scholarship monies from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation worth $131,000 to help defray costs for 2014-’15 academic year.

The University of Texas at Arlington reported in a recent media release that the school’s Office for Students with Disabilities was selected to be part of the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation Scholarship for Students with Spinal Cord Injury program. Money from the scholarships are intended to help meet costs for tuition, fees, books, and supplied for the four students.

In addition, The Neilsen Foundation reportedly established a $75,000 supplemental support fund to reduce barriers for Neilsen Scholars’ academic success. The supplemental fund aims to support needs related to the students’ spinal cord injury, such as caregiver services, adaptive equipment or assistive technology, and subsidize other costs such as housing, childcare, and/or transportation.

“We are elated to be able to offer this prestigious scholarship to qualifying students,” said Penny Acrey, director of the Office for Students with Disabilities at UT Arlington. “Since the addition of the Minor in Disability Studies last fall, we have actually seen an increased awareness of disability on campus overall.”

[Source: The University of Texas at Arlington]