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The program will be available again at the beginning February 2026. Please return then to view the updated Eligibility and Awards for the upcoming academic year!

 

If you are an applicant who would like to discover more scholarship opportunities you might qualify for, please continue to the Scholarship America Hub and sign up!

RARE Scholars Program
Application status: Closed

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. has established a scholarship program to assist high school seniors, graduates, current postsecondary undergraduates, or graduate level students who have been diagnosed by a physician as having achondroplasia, Batten disease, hemophilia A, mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) or phenylketonuria (PKU, regardless of treatment status.

This program is administered by Scholarship America®, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarships and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals. Eligibility for individual programs is determined at the sole discretion of the sponsor, and eligible application are reviewed by Scholarship America’s evaluation team.

  • Applicants must be high school seniors, high school graduates, current post-secondary or graduate-level students diagnosed by a physician as having achondroplasia, Batten disease, hemophilia A, mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) or phenylketonuria (PKU, regardless of treatment status. Applicants will be required to have their doctor fill out and return the Diagnosis Verification Form.
  • Applicants are not required to have undergone treatment with a BioMarin therapy. Treatment status with any manufacturer products should not be disclosed and will not be considered in evaluating applications.
  • Applicants must be enrolled or plan to be enrolled as a full- or part-time (minimum 6 credits per term) undergraduate or graduate student at an accredited college, university or vocational-technical school for the entire 2025-2026 academic year.
  • Applicants must be U.S. or ex-U.S. residents enrolled in U.S.-based schools, including U.S. territories. Schools may be nonprofit or for-profit.
  • Applicants must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (or equivalent) on a 4.0 scale.

BioMarin employees and their children are ineligible for the program.

If selected as a recipient, the student will receive:

  • An award ranging from $5,000 for two-year or vocational-technical study to $10,000 for undergraduate four- year or graduate study.
  • Awards are not renewable, however students may reapply each year they meet eligibility requirements.
  • Maximum allowable lifetime awards per student is $50,000.
  • Awards are for undergraduate and graduate study.

Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of:

  • Academic record
  • Demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities
  • Work experience
  • Statement of educational and career goals and objectives
  • An online recommendation

Financial need is not considered.

Selection of recipients is made by Scholarship America. In no instance does any officer or employee of BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. play a part in the selection. Treatment status (including past, present or future status) has no bearing on applicant eligibility and will not be considered as part of the application. All applicants agree to accept the decision as final.

If selected as a recipient, you or your guardian will be asked to sign a BioMarin release form and provide a photo to be used in BioMarin communications about the RARE Scholars program.

Notification

Applicants will be notified in May. Not all applicants to the program will be selected as recipients. Students may reapply to the program each year they meet eligibility requirements.

Payment of Scholarships

Scholarship America processes payments in one installment in early August.

As part of your application, you must upload the following documents:

  • A current, complete transcript of grades. Grade reports are not accepted. Transcripts must display:
    • Student name
    • School name
    • Grades
    • Credit hours for each course and term in which each course was taken.

    NOTE: If you are providing SAT or ACT test scores, and those scores are not listed on your high school transcript, you will need to upload a copy of your test score report(s) separately. If you are uploading a college transcript, those scores are not required.

    Additionally, a Diagnosis Verification Form must be completed by a physician and submitted on your behalf per instructions on the form. No exceptions. This form must be emailed directly from your physician to biomarin@scholarshipamerica.org.

    One online recommendation form must be submitted on your behalf no later than April 2, 2025 3:00 pm. Central Time.

    Your application is not complete unless all required documents are submitted electronically.

    BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. has partnered with Scholarship America. Selecting the button below will redirect you the Scholarship America Student Hub!

    Please make sure to add studentsupport@scholarshipamerica.org as well as the program email address provided below in the footer as safe senders in your email contact list.