Scholarship for students affected by bleeding disorders now open
Program offers help to students showing achievement, service, and need
Applications are now open for the 2026 Eric Dostie Memorial College Scholarships, which will award $1,000 each to 10 qualifying students whose lives have been directly affected by von Willebrand disease (VWD) or hemophilia.
Run by Nufactor, a subsidiary of FFF Enterprises, the program supports full-time college students affected by these bleeding disorders, either personally or through a family member, who demonstrate academic promise, community involvement, and financial need.
To be eligible, applicants must be U.S. citizens living in the U.S. and enrolled full time in an accredited two- or four-year college. A 400-word essay is required as part of the application, which can be submitted online through Nufactor’s website.
Essay asks students to reflect on goals and challenges
In the essay, students are asked to describe what drives them to pursue higher education, their field of study, the hurdles they’ve overcome, and how they plan to use their education to benefit their communities.
The deadline is Feb. 17, 2026, and awardees will be announced in May. The program is now in its 32nd year.
“FFF understands the financial burden that comes with managing a chronic illness like hemophilia,” Patrick M. Schmidt, CEO of FFF Enterprises, said in a company press release. “We are honored to provide some relief and to be a reminder that health status does not hinder a beautiful future.”
The scholarship was established in memory of Eric Dostie, a 5-year-old boy with hemophilia whose life inspired a commitment to supporting others in the bleeding disorders community. Eric was murdered in 1994, in a case that drew attention to the heavy financial and emotional burdens faced by families managing chronic medical conditions.
Hemophilia is a rare disorder in which a person’s blood cannot clot properly because the body does not have enough of specific clotting factors — proteins essential for forming stable blood clots. Similarly, in VWD, blood clotting is impaired due to low levels or poor function of a protein that helps platelets — the cell fragments in blood — stick together and support normal clot formation.
While there is no cure for either condition, both rely on treatments aimed at preventing or controlling dangerous bleeding and managing other symptoms.
The lifelong nature of care can place a significant financial strain on families, a burden that programs like the Eric Dostie Memorial College Scholarship seek to ease by providing financial support and recognition to students who face these challenges.
“We are humbled by the current and future achievements of these deserving and thoughtful young minds,” Schmidt added.
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