Last year, new criteria were adopted for permanently disabled registrants to the Families of Freedom Fund. It is now necessary to have Social Security Disability Insurance from the Social Security Administration to be eligible for registration in the permanently disabled category of the Fund. This change ensures that all individuals in this category are reviewed on equal footing, using the same medical criteria. While this program is transitioning, certain grandfathering rights have been established and are outlined below.
Definitions:
Previous participants = those dependents who have received assistance in the past.
New participants = those who are applying for assistance for the first time.
Deceased permanently disabled victims = those in which the victim was permanently disabled but died prior to the 2011/12 academic year.
| Previous | New | Deceased | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligible for Social Security Benefits | Approved | Approved | Approved |
| Denied Social Security Benefits | Ineligible | Ineligible | Ineligible |
| In Process (application has been submitted for SS Benefits) | Eligible if providing documentation within prior 3 months that application is under review | Ineligible until approved by Social Security | Not Applicable |
Denied but appealing for Social Security Benefits |
Eligible if providing documentation within prior 3 months that appeal is under review | Ineligible until approved by Social Security | Not Applicable |
Note: If you are unable to apply for Social Security Disability, an alternative review process, using the same medical criteria used by the Social Security Administration has been developed to accommodate your medical review. Please contact the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund at 877-862-0136.
