The ALS Association is accepting applications for The Jane Calmes ALS Scholarship Fund, which was established in 2019 to support post-high school education for students whose lives have been impacted by ALS. Scholarship recipients receive up to $5,000 per year to help cover the cost of education.

Since its inception, we have awarded $1,195,000 in 239 scholarships for students nationwide who are pursuing an accredited college degree or vocational certificate.

“The financial burden of ALS is devastating on families, and kids are all too often collateral damage. The disease forces many kids to delay their education so they can pitch in as caregivers, while others lose the financial ability to attend school altogether. I’m very pleased the fund was able to help some of these students get back on the education path that was disrupted by ALS,” said Mark Calmes, of The ALS Association’s National Board of Trustees.

Calmes started the scholarship fund in honor of his late wife, Jane, who fought ALS for eight years and passed away in August 2017. The fund provides financial assistance to students pursuing an accredited college degree or vocational certificate.

“Jane was a quiet, gentle, yet tenacious warrior, and I promised her I would continue the fight as long as I could. She also put such a high value on education, so this scholarship fund seemed like a great way to honor her,” Calmes said.

The scholarship is not limited to traditional two- or four-year college degrees but is also intended to cover vocational education.

“It's important that all kids, no matter what profession they want to go into, have the ability to seek out these awards to help them pursue their life dreams,” Calmes said.

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Emma Thompson was one of last year’s recipients. Her grandmother was diagnosed with ALS in March of 2018 and because of the devastating financial burden brought on by ALS, Emma’s college savings was quickly drained to help her grandmother. Thankfully, because of our generous supporters, Emma’s dreams of attending college were fulfilled:

“The Jane Calmes ALS Scholarship Fund is an absolute game changer for me as it’ll be a huge help paying my college tuition. My family spent (and still spends) a lot of our resources helping to care for my grandparents. With assisted living and doctor’s bills for the two of them hitting over $15,000/month, the financial strain on our family was immediate. That along with my family’s business being closed during COVID, my college savings was quickly drained to help keep us all afloat. I'm so grateful for the ALS Association’s support and for the opportunity to be an ALS advocate and educator in the medical field.”

Applications for this year’s scholarship awards, which will be distributed for the fall 2022 and spring 2023 semesters, are being accepted through May 18, 2022.

To apply for The Jane Calmes ALS Scholarship Fund awards, donate to the scholarship fund, or get additional information, please visit our website here.

The Jane Calmes Scholarship Fund is being administered by Scholarship America. To apply, click here.

More About Jane Calmes
The Jane Calmes ALS Scholarship Fund honors Jane’s courageous spirit, her love of family, and her belief in the importance of education.

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Jane and her daughters

Jane Calmes was born in Coffeyville, Kansas, and spent her youth in Neodesha, Kansas. She attended Kansas University and later graduated Magna Cum Laude from Wichita State University in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science/Dental Hygiene. Jane was an accomplished dental hygienist and loved working with the public, all the while providing a necessary service with gentle thoroughness, for which she was noted. She married Mark Calmes in 1980 and together they had four children. Jane was also an ALS hero, having fought the disease for eight years through pure grit and determination. Early on in her journey with ALS, the family formed a very successful Walk to Defeat ALS® team in her honor named Jane’s Angels, which continues today. Jane passed away peacefully at home on August 16, 2017, in the arms of her husband and surrounded by her loving family.