A 2006 photo of Dan Waeger of Harrisburg, Pa., with a “Waeger Will Win” wristband made by his former college roommates. By H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY.

With the cost of college increasing each year, scholarships and grants are in high demand among students. But some organizations aren’t targeting valedictorians or unrepresented demographics.

For Kelly Purcell, receiving a scholarship from Cancer for College was more than a recognition of her high school achievements.

“It definitely had a little bit of extra meaning because there was a time when I didn’t even know if I would be able to turn 16 and get a driver’s license,” she said.

Purcell was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, a type of muscle tumor, when she was 15. In 2002, she underwent chemotherapy for almost a year. Flash forward to 2005 and after having been uncertain she would live long enough to attend college, Purcell was awarded a $4,000-per-year scholarship.

Purcell, who now works as Cancer for College’s Special Projects Manager, said the scholarship is important because it helps families that have been overwhelmed with treatment expenses and would have a tough time paying for college as a result.

“I went through a treatment for about a year in high school and there were definitely a lot of expenses,” the 24-year-old California native said. “It was just really amazing to have an organization that was willing to help me cover the cost of going to school.”

During the 2007-2008 academic year, the average cost of tuition, room and board was $14,915 at a four-year public university and $40,640 at a four-year private university, according to the Census Bureau.

The average cost of a 30-day cancer drug prescription was more than $1,600 in 2006 and is even more today, according to the American Cancer Society. Meanwhile, the cost of eight weeks of chemotherapy can range from $100 to $30,000, according to livestrong.com. And even families with health insurance often wound up paying a significant amount for treatment.

To date, Cancer for College has provided over $1.5 million in scholarships to nearly 900 cancer survivors. These have helped replenish family savings. Each year, the organization awards a few $4,000 renewable scholarships, as well as several one-time scholarships ranging from $25o to $4,000.

Some scholarships such as the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, The PinkRose Foundation and the United Breast Cancer Foundation, are for students who have lost a parent to cancer and as a result have less resources to pay for college.

The Ryan Mullaly Second Chance Fund takes into consideration that high school students fighting cancer may have been limited in their abilities to participate in sports or extracurricular activities, and have of often missed classes affecting their performance. The scholarship is for students diagnosed with lymphoma and whose ability to earn a scholarship was hindered by cancer.

At Miles of Hope Breast Cancer Foundation, Executive Director Pari Forood, said the main criteria are students’ experiences with cancer.

“They deserve to be helped in any way they can because they have been through something awful and we want to recognize that,” she said.

Scholarships are offered to any college-bound high school senior that has been affected by cancer and resides in one of eight New York State counties. The experience could be a mother, grandmother or even a teacher’s battle with cancer, Forood said.

The selection committee evaluates test scores, grades, extracurricular activities and involvement in breast cancer advocacy or service. Then eight $1,000 scholarships are awarded each year.

“We are absolutely stunned at how resilient young people are,” she said. “We usually have a box of tissues right in the room where we are reading them.”

For these students whose lives have been affected by cancer, perhaps the most valuable part of the award is not the money, but being recognized for overcoming incredible adversity.

“They’re thrilled,” Forood said. “They feel that they were chosen, that they won.”

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