Traumatic Brain Injury Annual Scholarship Fund

The brain injury lawyers at DE CARO & KAPLEN, LLP. are pleased to offer an annual scholarship for a student who is a survivor of traumatic brain injury and is pursuing a college education.

traumatic brain injury scholarship winners — Left: 2017 Traumatic Brain Injury Scholarship Winner Courtney Bruun-Andersen with Shana De Caro & Michael Kaplen.
Right: 2018 scholarship winner Tiffany Oliverio.

Every year our partners, Shana De Caro and Michael Kaplen, devote their time and dedicate a portion of our firm’s fees to brain injury education, prevention and advocacy. We are nationally recognized for our leadership roles in the field of brain injury law. Shana De Caro is a member of the board of directors of the Brain Injury Association of America. Michael V. Kaplen is three term past president of the Brain Injury Association of New York State. Shana and Michael have each served as chairperson of the American Association for Justice Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group. We have created a brain injury scholarship to assist survivors of traumatic brain injuries who want to pursue a college education.

Our attorneys help people who have sustained brain damage caused by all types of accidents. As advocates for people with a brain injury and their families, we have witnessed the incredible hardships they have endured and the dedication and determination that are necessary to help rebuild their lives. We want to recognize an individual’s hard work and perseverance in living with a brain injury and pursuing his/her dreams and goals.

This scholarship is an important reminder that each and every person who has sustained a traumatic brain injury is an individual, not just a statistic. Today many industries place profits over safety, such as the trucking and motor vehicle industry, construction industry, negligent doctors, and sports organizations, both professional and school or community-based. We lose sight of the full impact these injuries have on both the individual and family. A life can be changed in an instant.

A scholarship of $ 1,000 will be awarded to one applicant for the year 2024.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

Applicant must:

Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident,
Be currently enrolled in, or accepted to enroll at an accredited college or university within the United States,
Have sustained a traumatic brain injury from an accident or traumatic event
Timely complete a selection application

Selection is based on the overall strength of the application, how that applicant has overcome the challenges he or she has faced from a traumatic brain injury, and goals for the future.

Application requirements

Applications for 2024's scholarship award are now open.

Applicants must submit the following items:

A completed application,
A copy of a current college academic transcript or proof of acceptance and registration at an accredited college or university,
A copy of proof of accident, such as police report, or some other form of proof of the traumatic event,
Proof of a traumatic brain injury from a narrative medical report or hospital record,
An essay of not more than three pages describing the traumatic event, your injury, and how you have worked to overcome your injury while pursuing an education etc.
Proof of legal Residency in the U.S. (i.e. Birth certificate, passport, permanent resident card

The Traumatic Brain Injury Scholarship is to be used exclusively for college tuition, books, and related expenses and he or she is expected to submit receipts in accordance with IRS regulations.

How to Apply

Please use the form below to complete your application.

1Application

2Submission

Student Information
Last Name*
First Name*
MI
Are you a US citizen or permanent resident of the United States?*
- Yes
- No
Your Address*
Street Address Apt Room # City State ZIP Code
Main Phone*
Alternate Phone
Email*
Gender (optional)
- Male
- Female
City, county and state where the traumatic event occurred:*
City State County
How were you injured?*
List any honors or awards that you have received:
Essay describing the traumatic event, your injury, and how you have worked to overcome your injury while pursuing an education (if more than 500 words, please upload your document below).
Please tell us how you learned about our scholarship program (website, etc.,)*
Is there any other relevant information you want us to consider when reviewing your application?
Application Files*
Upload the following:
1. 1. Copy of a current college academic transcript or proof of acceptance and registration at an accredited college or university.
2. 2. Proof of accident, such as police report, or some other form of proof of the traumatic event.
3. 3. Proof of a traumatic brain injury from a narrative medical report or hospital record.
4. 4. Essay of not more than three pages describing the traumatic event, your injury, and how you have worked to overcome your injury while pursuing an education (unless you entered above).
5. 5. Proof of legal Residency in the U.S. (ie. Birth certificate, passport, permanent resident card, etc.).
Drop files here or

Accepted file types: pdf, Max. file size: 5 MB, Max. files: 8.
Academic Information
Name of college or university currently attending or enrolled in:*
Address of college or university currently attending or enrolled in:*
Current or Anticipated Major*
Release
De Caro & Kaplen, LLP (BRAIN LAW) would like to use each applicant’s essay as part of an online series on real traumatic brain accident victims and their stories. Do you give permission for our law firm to use your essay publicly with the following information: (please check one)*
- My full name
- My first name and last initial only
- Do not use my essay at all
Read the release below and then agree by signing in the box.*
I grant De Caro & Kaplen, LLP (BRAINLAW) the right to audiotape, videotape, and photograph my likeness for distribution on the De Caro & Kaplen, LLP blog, website, and social media accounts to promote the Traumatic Brain Injury scholarship program. I also grant De Caro & Kaplen, LLP the right to share my scholarship essay within these forms of online communication using my full name.

I also grant De Caro & Kaplen, LLP the right to share these forms of communication and any documentation I submitted with my scholarship application to the college or university I currently attend for the purposes of press release and news announcement distribution by that college or university.

AWARD

Left: Shana De Caro & Michael V. Kaplen with 2019 Traumatic Brain Injury Scholarship winner Luis Fierro Rios. Right: 2020 Traumatic Brain Injury Scholarship winner Hannah Mead

One applicant will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship in 2024. The scholarship award recipient will be notified of the selection on or before September 1, 2024. Please note we cannot guarantee disbursement of the scholarship funds for fall tuition.

Previous Traumatic Brain Injury Scholarship Winners

If you would like to contact us using our form, please fill out the information below:

Traumatic Brain Injury Annual Scholarship Fund

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

Application requirements

How to Apply

Student Information

Academic Information

Release

Certification

AWARD

Previous Traumatic Brain Injury Scholarship Winners

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