The 2026-2027 Beyond the Cure Ambassador Scholarship is Open!

The Beyond the Cure Survivorship Program empowers childhood cancer survivors to pursue higher education and life beyond cancer. Since 2008, this program has awarded more than $2.7 million to 257 survivors. For the 2026-2027 academic year, 50 scholarships will be awarded to survivors who demonstrate resilience, determination, and hope for the future.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Diagnosed before age 18 with cancer or a high-grade/anaplastic brain tumor
• Under age 25
• U.S. citizen living and attending school in the U.S.
• Enrolled in an accredited post-secondary or graduate program in fall 2026
• Minimum 2.5 GPA

Meet Gabriella

Gabriella, an NCCS Beyond the Cure Ambassador Scholarship recipient, currently attends Loyola University-Chicago. Gabriella shared how her journey with a brain tumor has shaped her future: “After a routine check-up turned into a hospital stay, I found out a rare, malignant tumor was wrapped around my pituitary gland, invading my brain. After brain surgery, I woke up in pain and without my parents in the ICU. A nurse sat by my side, held my hand, and offered a reassuring suggestion. ‘Picture when this is over. What you will do with the rest of your life.’ How strange, the terror of the present robbed me of all thoughts of my future. Determined not to let myself or the nurse down, I shifted my focus.”

That moment changed everything. Gabriella shared, “While this experience terrified me in many ways, it also showed me the beauty of the healing arts, which I now see as part of my future. And not just the future I had meticulously planned before having cancer. A future that exists because of having cancer.”

The 2026-2027 scholarship application process will be open from January 1, 2026, through March 31, 2026. Click here to learn more and apply.