Detox.com Spring 2025 College Scholarship

Much like college scholarships cover all or part of the costs of higher education, rehab scholarships also partially or fully cover the costs of addiction treatment for those who can’t otherwise afford it. For recipients, drug rehab scholarships are often the one thing that makes it possible to access treatment resources.

The price of alcohol and drug rehab is the most commonly cited obstacle among those seeking help to overcome addiction, so the additional funding can serve as an additional motivating factor to enter recovery.

Rehab grants are noncompetitive federal grants mandated by Congress. Unlike rehab scholarships, which provide financial aid directly to individuals, rehab grants provide funding to state entities around the country that provide addiction and mental health treatment. Individuals cannot apply for rehab grants. However, it is through these federal rehab grants that many rehabs are able to offer rehab scholarships, low-cost addiction treatment, and sliding scale payment options. Some grants, like block grants offered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), focus specifically on high-risk populations like people who are IV drug users, parents with dependent children, or pregnant women.

Rehab scholarships are needs-based and provide treatment funding for applicants seeking both inpatient and outpatient treatment. Rehab scholarships are offered by:

Individual treatment facilities: Most treatment scholarships are offered by individual rehabs on a case-by-case basis. The funds are meant to support people who need professional help to overcome addiction, but would be unable to receive it without the help of a scholarship.

Corporations managing treatment facilities: Both for-profit and nonprofit corporations own and operate regional or national rehabs. These facilities often have funds set aside for scholarship recipients in order to help them cover the cost of treatment at one of their treatment centers.

Non-profit foundations: A number of nonprofit organizations operate treatment centers and offer rehab scholarships to applicants in need of financial assistance. Some nonprofits provide scholarships to specific disadvantaged populations.

Contacting private rehabs about their available scholarships for people seeking addiction treatment is the best way to attain an application. Start by browsing the treatment directory. Make a list of local rehabs that meet your needs, then call each treatment center on your list and ask them if they offer scholarships.

When you find a rehab that offers scholarships, ask them for details about the application process. Some programs have strict rules for application and require you to apply in person. Other programs will let you apply online or over the phone.

Keep in mind that most scholarships are needs-based, meaning that applicants who meet the following criteria are eligible and prioritized:

• Applicants lacking funds to pay rehab bills
• Applicants who are under- or uninsured
• Applicants with no financial assets
• Applicants who lack alternate resources to borrow money