Scholarship Eligibility

In addition to the below, your country may have additional eligibility requirements. Please select your country to learn how scholarships are administered in your country.

To be eligible for a scholarship, the employee/retiree and their student must meet the following requirements:

Employee Requirements

Current Abbott employee with a minimum of two years of continuous Abbott service as of The Clara Abbott Foundation’s application deadline date (or two years from date of acquisition).

  • Employees on an unpaid leave of absence are not eligible for a scholarship (does not apply to FMLA)
  • Employees on extended disability must have a minimum of two years of continuous Abbott service as of The Foundation’s application deadline date (or two years from date of Abbott acquisition); and receiving Abbott disability pay
  • Contractors are not eligible to apply

Former Employee/Retiree Requirements

Former Abbott employee who, upon separation from Abbott, met one of the following criteria. These employees may retain lifetime eligibility for Foundation services.

  • Between 50-60 years of age, with a minimum of 10 years of continuous Abbott service
  • 61 years of age with nine years of continuous Abbott service
  • 62 years of age with eight years of continuous Abbott service
  • 63 years of age with seven years of continuous Abbott service
  • 64 years of age with six years of continuous Abbott service
  • 65+ years of age with five years of continuous Abbott service

Student Applicant Requirements

Abbott employee or former employee/retiree must certify that the student is the following:

  • A legal dependent
  • Unmarried
  • Age 17 – 24  as of the application deadline date
  • Not employed by Abbott
  • Academic status
      1. Student is or will be a graduate of high school/secondary school, or otherwise attending an eligible school (see below) during the next school year
      2. Student is pursuing his/her first university degree, certificate, or equivalent

Eligible Schools

Abbott employee or former employee/retiree must certify that the student is attending or plans to attend an accredited eligible school (as defined below) during the next school year:

  • College (must qualify as a university [or equivalent]) / Post-secondary / Tertiary
  • University
  • Vocational School
  • Trade School

The Foundation does NOT support the following:

  • Primary/elementary, middle/intermediate and high school/secondary costs
  • A student’s second degree or advanced degrees such as Master’s, Doctorate, Specialist, etc.
  • Audited courses
  • Seminars not required as part of an undergraduate degree
  • Additional costs for study abroad
  • Any courses not associated with an accredited institution

Additional Information

  • Awards are for undergraduate study only and are granted without regard to race, color, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability or national origin
  • Information submitted is considered confidential and reviewed by The Foundation
  • Awards are not renewable. Scholarships are never guaranteed
  • Abbott employees and their spouses are not eligible for Foundation scholarships
  • The Foundation reserves the right to review the conditions and procedures of this scholarship program and make changes at any time, which may include termination of the program. The Foundation may deny any request for assistance at its sole and entire discretion

THE CLARA ABBOTT FOUNDATION IS AN INDEPENDENT NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION. ELIGIBILITY FOR ASSISTANCE FROM THE CLARA ABBOTT FOUNDATION IS DETERMINED PURSUANT TO THE CLARA ABBOTT FOUNDATION’S POLICIES AND IS INDEPENDENT FROM ELIGIBILITY FOR EMPLOYEE BENEFITS PROVIDED BY ABBOTT LABORATORIES. STANDARDS FOR ELIGIBILITY AND AVAILABLE ASSISTANCE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT THE CLARA ABBOTT FOUNDATION’S SOLE DISCRETION AND WITHOUT ADVANCE NOTICE.

We’re ready to help

For Abbott employees, retirees, and their families, The Clara Abbott Foundation is here to provide compassionate, confidential support in times of need.

In order to provide financial assistance or scholarships, we need to fully understand your situation. Therefore, personal information and various documentation will be requested and required throughout the process. In some cases, we will verify information with HR or Abbott.

Financial Assistance College Scholarships

Have you been impacted by a disaster?

Please contact us at +1-847-937-1090 or 1-800-972-3859 or email us at AskClara@abbott.com.

Before applying, we ask that you consider three things:
  1. Review the eligibility requirements:
  2. Be prepared to be open, honest, and forthcoming about your specific needs and situation throughout the process.
  3. Any misrepresentation of a situation, including fraud, deceit, or concealment with regard to information on an application or obtained during the consultation process will have consequences as defined by the Abbott Business Code of Conduct.