UCB launches US scholarship program for MG patients, families
Biopharmaceutical to cover educational expenses up to $10K with 15 awards
The new UCB Myasthenia Gravis Scholarship, launched by the Belgium-based biopharmaceutical company, is aiming to help myasthenia gravis (MG) patients and their family members in the U.S. to continue their education or learn new skills by covering educational expenses — with program awards totaling up to $150,000.
“We know living with MG or supporting a loved one with it can be challenging – but paying for educational opportunities shouldn’t be,” Kimberly Moran, PhD, senior vice president and head of U.S. Rare Diseases at UCB, said in an emailed statement to Myasthenia Gravis News.
“That’s why we are proud to offer 15 one-time educational scholarships of up to $10,000 to individuals living with MG and their immediate family members who are pursuing further education,” Moran said.
The scholarship program is open to people with MG and their parents, spouses, children, or siblings of all ages, independent of their academic scores or financial status. The scholarships may cover expenses such as tuition, fees, and books, and are available to support a college education — associate’s, undergraduate, or graduate degrees — and studies in trade skills and other disciplines.
Applications may be submitted until Feb. 5, 2025, and awardees will be notified in June of next year. Grants will be paid directly to the winner’s educational institution the following month.
“At UCB, we see the person, not just the disease, and the UCB Myasthenia Gravis Scholarship is just one way that we support people impacted by a rare disease [to] live the life they want, if that means pursuing educational goals,” Moran said in a UCB press release. “We continue to be moved by the resilience of the myasthenia gravis community, and are inspired to take action to meet their unmet needs.”
UCB scholarship program will pay expenses for college or trade school
Anyone applying must be a legal U.S. resident, have a confirmed myasthenia gravis diagnosis or be an immediate family member of someone with MG, and be seeking a college or university degree or a certification from a trade school program.
Applicants must also demonstrate academic achievement, and be enrolled or awaiting acceptance for the fall semester of 2025 from a university, trade school, or other educational institution.
The selection will be based on a one-page essay authored by the applicant explaining how or why the scholarship would be of benefit. The essays should include applicants’ academic and professional achievements and address how MG has impacted their lives. Applicants also should describe the community and advocacy activities they have engaged in, or how they have contributed to benefit the MG community.
Submissions should also include a signed medical history form for the MG patient, a copy of the most recent academic transcript, and three recommendation letters. The letters may be written by school officials, members of the applicant’s community or healthcare team, and/or a current or previous employer or colleague.
The recipients of these scholarships will be people who demonstrate resilience and embrace a way of life beyond the boundaries of MG. … We are proud to power the dreams of the MG community with the one and only scholarship program dedicated to those with the condition.
The applications will be reviewed by a panel of medical specialists in neurology and patient advocates from across the U.S. According to the program’s FAQs webpage, the use of UCB products won’t be considered for winner selection.
“We’re seeking a diverse group of patients or their immediate family members who demonstrate academic ambition, personal achievement, and serve as positive role models for others,” UCB states on the program’s webpage.
All candidates will be notified about their status via email in June 2025, and winners will receive a phone call.
After confirming each winner’s educational enrollment for the fall semester of 2025, the scholarship check will be mailed directly to the educational institution in July, to cover tuition or educational material expenses. If the expenses are less than $10,000, the scholarship will cover only the required amount.
“The recipients of these scholarships will be people who demonstrate resilience and embrace a way of life beyond the boundaries of MG,” Moran said. “We are proud to power the dreams of the MG community with the one and only scholarship program dedicated to those with the condition.”
The new program follows the success of the UCB Family Epilepsy Scholarship Program, which has awarded more than $3 million to more than 600 eligible recipients since 2005.
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