Baer Reintegration Scholarship

Until recently, the idea that people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder could move their lives forward or even reintegrate into their communities was thought by many to be unrealistic and unobtainable. But with the advent of newer medications, lives have been transformed.

However, medication is only the first step. The support of people and programs in the community is essential. Opening the door to educational opportunities is one way to help people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder transition from a world of chaos and withdrawal to one of accomplishment.

The goal of the Baer Reintegration Scholarship is to help people with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or bipolar disorder acquire the educational and vocational skills necessary to reintegrate into society, secure jobs, and regain their lives.

The Baer Reintegration Scholarship is funded by the Sidney R. Baer, Jr. Foundation which supports the efforts of organizations working to stimulate education, research and direct care in the mental health field. A businessman and consultant, Mr. Baer personally faced mental health challenges during his life and sought to alleviate the suffering of those living with mental illness

ELIGIBILITY

Prior to completing the application online, all applicants will be required to take a brief eligibility quiz. To be considered for the Baer Reintegration Scholarship, applicants must:

• Be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder
• Be currently receiving medical treatment for the disease, including medications and psychiatric follow-up, or have prescribing authority’s documentation of past history noted on Recommendation Form.
• Be actively involved in rehabilitative or reintegration efforts, such as clubhouse membership, part-
  or full-time employment, volunteer efforts or
  school enrollment.
• Be a U.S. citizen or legal resident and plan to attend a school in the United States

Be age 18 years or older by the beginning of the 2025-2026 academic school year.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

The Baer Reintegration Scholarship program is designed to offer financial assistance for a wide range of educational opportunities in which students work to attain a certificate or degree from an accredited institution. Eligible programs include:

• High school equivalency programs
• Trade or vocational school, or certification programs
• Associate’s degree
• Bachelor’s degree
• Graduate degree
• Post-baccalaureate credit coursework

Due to the current COVID-19 global pandemic, the Baer Reintegration Scholarship Program is accepting students attending school online, in person, or a hybrid of the two.

CRITERIA

The applications will be judged by the following criteria:

• Academic success
• References from three individuals, including the applicant’s psychiatrist or prescribing authority (references from family members are ineligible)
• Quality of essay
• Thoughtfulness and appropriateness of academic
  and vocational/career goals
• Rehabilitation involvement
• Success in dealing with the disease
• Recent volunteer and/or vocational experience
• Completion of application requirements including signing the Personal Consent & Release Form

CONDITIONS OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT

The 2026-2027 Baer Reintegration Scholarship program will be effective for the fall 2026- spring 2027 school year only. Past winners wishing to continue/complete their education must reapply to renew their scholarship on an annual basis. (See Renewal Guidelines below.)

Awards are determined on a case-by-case basis. Scholarship money is sent directly to educational institutions to defray the costs of tuition, books, laboratory supplies and mandatory fees on behalf of winning candidates. All monies remaining at the end of the 2026 spring semester must be returned to the scholarship fund. The scholarship does not cover summer classes, transportation, computer, room and board expenses, or personal expenses.

EDUCATIONAL GOALS AND COSTS

Applicants must have an academic or a vocational goal, as well as a career goal, including a specific school, or set of schools, they plan to attend. Applicants must enclose a copy of the desired school’s statement of standard costs for tuition, books, lab supplies, and mandatory fees from the school’s website or financial aid office. If applying for more than one school, include standard costs from all potential schools.

INDEPENDENT JUDGING PANEL

The Sidney R. Baer, Jr. Foundation has an independent panel of judges comprised of psychiatric care professionals and consumers to select the scholarship winners. The judges will review all eligible scholarship applications in accordance with the stated criteria. They will select scholarship winners and determine monetary scholarship amounts for each winner based on financial needs and educational goals. All deliberations and decisions by the judging panel are final and confidential. Scholarship amounts vary from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.

This application will be reviewed only by the panel of judges and will remain confidential. All application materials will be destroyed after the judging process is completed and will not be returned to the applicant. Decisions will be made in April of 2026. All applicants will be notified of a decision in May of 2026.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For more information, please contact us at baerscholarships@reintegration.com. All questions will be answered by email only.

ESSAY

Essay must be no longer than four double-spaced typed pages and must include the following section headings; to make seven separate sections to the essay. These sections are provided within the online application.

• My Career Goal and My Rationale for Choosing This Goal
• How This Course of Study Will Help Me Achieve My Career Goal
• How My Illness Has Impacted My Ability to Succeed in School, Maintain Employment or Establish Relationships
• Steps I Have Taken to Prepare for Pursuit of This Education
• Rationale for the Specific School Chosen
• My Plans to Continue Treatment While Pursuing
  an Education
• My Efforts to Reintegrate through Community Involvement

Please note uploaded essays that do not have these headings clearly stated at the beginning of each section will not be accepted for the judges’ review.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Applicants are required to submit three recommendation forms. The first must be completed by the applicant’s prescribing authority for the mental illness. This is how we verify that each applicant has a qualifying diagnosis. Applications that do not have this recommendation form will be disqualified.

The second and third recommendations are general recommendations. They can be filled out by a friend, coworker, teacher, therapist, sponsor, fellow community member, among other relations. Family members may NOT fill out any recommendation forms.

Should any of your references be unable to fill out the recommendation forms sent to them through the online application, they can visit our Scholarship Recommendations page to choose a different way to submit their form.

Download a letter from Dr. Ralph Aquila, explaining to fellow prescribing authorities the importance of their input in the scholarship application process.

If an applicant's psychiatrist or prescribing authority is unable or unwilling to complete the recommendation form by the deadline, applicants may submit a facesheet from their medical records which documents their diagnosis and current medications. However, this is not preferable and we strongly urge applicants to work with their providers to ensure the recommendation form is completed and submitted.

FAFSA

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) through the U.S. Department of Education.

You can apply on the Web by clicking here, or contact your school for an application form. DO NOT mail in any FAFSA info with your application package. If you are chosen as a finalist, you will be required to show proof that you completed a FAFSA prior to April 1, 2026. (FAFSA filing is not required of those applying for financial assistance for high school or GED studies, and some graduate schools on a case-by-case basis.)

EXTRA MATERIALS

We will accept three (3) extra materials to each application. These extra items are NOT required. Examples include but are not limited to a resume, writing sample, picture of artwork, or completion certificate.

RENEWAL GUIDELINES

Once receiving the Baer Reintegration Scholarship, winners are encouraged to continue their educational pursuits and reapply for the program annually until they have achieved their educational goal. Past winners will receive top consideration as long as current academic records and rehabilitative/ reintegration efforts reflect dedication and commitment to an academic or a vocational goal, as well as to a career goal. Upon reapplication, past winners must enclose a current grade report, an updated application form, a recommendation form from a prescribing authority, a signed Personal Consent & Release Form, and a reconfirmation of your goals and academic hours completed/remaining to fulfill your degree requirements.  If a returning scholar is reapplying towards new degree, they must submit a completely new application in full.

Find the renewal application online.

For the 2026-27 academic year, Baer Reintegration Scholars will be asked to submit a brief progress report form at the midpoint of each semester to the scholarship program. Upon reapplication, returning scholars must submit the following through the online portal or by mail:

APPLICATION DEADLINE

• Applications must be submitted by January 31, 2026
• Applications must be completed in their entirety according to the directions provided; applicants must meet the eligibility requirements in order to be considered by the panel of independent judges.
• All applicants will be notified in May 2026 whether or not they have been chosen as a finalist. Winners will be notified in July 2026.

To Complete the Baer Reintegration Scholarship Application Online:

The Center for Reintegration hosts its application through SmarterSelect, an online application management system designed to ease the application process for our applicants. Those applying for a Baer Reintegration Scholarship online will be able to:

• Save, edit, adjust, and come back to their application over time before submitting it.
• See if their references have completed their recommendation forms.
• Have peace of mind knowing their information is secure with data-encrypted software.
• Send an email to us directly from the application if they have a question.
• Utilize our built-in checklist to make sure their application is complete.
• APPLY ONLINE!

To Complete the Baer Reintegration Scholarship Application via Mail:

All relevant information is included in the application. Application materials must be postmarked (NOT received by) January 31, 2026.