2026 Arthur W. Pense Scholarship Application

Scholarship for Nursing, Physical or Occupational Therapy Degree Program Students

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, February 13, 2026

About the Scholarship: Two scholarships in the amount of $3,000 are presented annually. The scholarship is paid in installments of $1,500 per semester for any year the student is enrolled in college. The funds must be claimed within a four-year period from the time the scholarship was awarded.

About Dr. Arthur Pense: This scholarship honors Dr. Arthur W. Pense, NYS Assistant Commissioner of Mental Hygiene from April 1, 1944 to April 15, 1961. As Assistant Commissioner, Dr. Pense was responsible for programs provided to people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities through the state of New York. Dr. Pense was widely recognized as an outstanding administrator and friend of The Arc New York. It was under his leadership that local services for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities were developed using community mental health programs.

Eligibility Criteria:

Students must be enrolled in a degree program related to nursing, or physical or occupational therapy. Students may include a 2-3 month fieldwork program as part of their degree/eligibility
Students must be a New York State resident
Students currently receiving a scholarship through The Arc New York are not eligible to receive simultaneous scholarships

Application Requirements:

Completed application
One signed letter of recommendation from an Academic Instructor. The letter must be current and in relation to the scholarship application

Question Title

* 1. Contact Information

Name *

College/University *

Permanent Address *

Permanent Address 2

City/Town *

State/Province *

ZIP/Postal Code *

Email Address *

Phone Number *

Question Title

* 2. Have you previously applied for this scholarship?

Yes

Question Title

* 3. Are you currently receiving a scholarship through The Arc New York?

Yes

Question Title

* 4. If so, in what year was it awarded?

Question Title

* 5. Please describe your education plans. How will your continued education positively impact your involvement in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities?

Question Title

* 6. Please provide a brief statement indicating how you became interested in becoming a professional in the field of in the field of physical or occupational therapy.

Question Title

* 7. Describe your experiences with people who have intellectual or other developmental disabilities. Please include both volunteer and employment or academic experiences.

Question Title

* 8. Describe your most meaningful achievement and how it relates to your field of study and future goals.

Question Title

* 9. What do you feel is the most important issue facing the field of physical and occupational therapy today? If you had the power to impact this issue in a positive way, what specific changes would you make?

Question Title

* 10. Upload Letter of Recommendation

If you don't have a digital copy of your letter available at this time, you can email or mail it separately to the address below

PDF, DOC, DOCX, PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF file types only.

Choose File

Question Title

* 11. Digital Signature - Please type your full name and the date into the field below as your electronic signature (ex. Jane Doe, 8/14/25)

ALL fields must be completed for the application to be considered.

Please send any additional documentation to The Arc New York State Office via email.

Email questions and additional application materials to scholarships@thearcny.org