Frequently Asked Questions
When is the application deadline?
The final deadline for all applications is January 31, 2026.
What if I miss the deadline?
There’s no guarantee funds will be available after the deadline.
We have received a grant in the past, can we apply again? Yes, but award priority is given to families who received their diagnosis or have a loved one who had passed in the past year.
We live outside the US; are we eligible for a Helping Hand Grant? Yes! NTSAD can write a letter of support for your visa application, but NTSAD cannot cover travel expenses.
Do I need to pay for my affected child? No. We never charge for affected children. You do not need to apply for a grant for an affected child. Additionally, a portion of all other family attendees’ fees are underwritten by NTSAD and reduced below the actual cost of attendance (which is more than $500 per person/adult and $200/child). Registration fees for family members are as follows:
Ages 0-3 Child FREE!
Ages 1-12 Child $125
Ages 13+ Adult $250
Are there limits to how much I can ask for? Yes. You may request a maximum of three nights of hotel accommodations (Thursday, Friday, Saturday), and two adults and two children registrations for immediate family members. Therefore, we ask you to only request funds that are absolutely necessary for attendance.
Is the cost of travel covered?
No.
How/when will I know if I was awarded a grant? You will be notified on a rolling basis beginning around February 1, 2026.
Why is there now a $25.00 registration fee for each adult attendee who receives a grant?
In order to guarantee the correct number of attendees, order the sufficient supplies, deliver accurate meal counts to the hotel, and support the staff time devoted to the Helping Hand process, a nonrefundable registration fee of $25.00 per adult is now required from all Helping Hand grant recipients who register for the Annual Family Conference.
What do I need to do if I am approved? You will receive an award letter via e-mail. Read this letter carefully.
Your acceptance of this letter serves as your contract of attendance with NTSAD. At that time, any additional fees owed for registration will be due to NTSAD. You must make your own hotel reservation for standard rooms only within the NTSAD room block using your own credit card (to leave on file with the hotel for incidentals). The hotel will then notify NTSAD of your reservation. You will not be charged for the approved hotel room nights, but you are responsible for any additional charges made to your room and nights that are not included in your Helping Hand Grant.
