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Education & Employment
“It is often difficult for employers to understand and accommodate the complex issues we deal with. We may be fully skilled and capable of performing a job but need slight accommodations that aren’t attached to an HR-approved diagnosis. These are simple things like needing more time to accomplish tasks or a more flexible schedule. The complex cognitive issues brain tumor survivors face are far beyond the average employer’s understanding. After an excellent interview, we may simply be dismissed as having ‘something off’ about us and therefore be overlooked in favor of a candidate who is ‘a better fit’ (an HR-approved way of saying ‘not as complicated’).”
-Rachel McCallum, pediatric brain tumor survivor. Read Rachel’s full guest blog post about her day-to-day life as a survivor.
The content on this page is aimed at teen and young adult survivors who are looking toward college and early career paths. If you are a caregiver to a younger survivor, a terrific resource is The Trish Greene Back to School Program For Children With Cancer, offered by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Education After High School
The prospect of independence and the college experience can be both thrilling and daunting for any teenager but especially so for childhood cancer survivors. But we all know that college is expensive! Fortunately, there are a number of scholarships available specifically for childhood cancer survivors. St. Jude’s ‘Together’ online resource provides a good listing of many of these scholarships, plus tips for successful applications and general information about financial aid.
In addition, we offer our own scholarship at the Children’s Cancer Cause, the College Scholars Program. We encourage you to take full advantage of these opportunities!
Survivors may ask themselves, "Should I talk about my cancer experience in my application essay?" You may be afraid that writing about it would be a disadvantage. You may just want to leave your cancer experience behind you. Yet you may see the essay as an opportunity to talk about your life and what sets you apart from other applicants. There is no correct answer, so you should do what is most comfortable for you.
Picking a School
It's important to pick a school - be it a vocational/technical school or university - that will be a good fit for you and meet your needs. This may especially be the case for survivors with physical or learning disabilities or survivors who have been recently diagnosed.
There are many things to consider when choosing a school, such as course offerings, location, size and the types of campus services available to students. How close or far away from home do you want to be? Do you want to be in an urban or rural area? How will geography affect your follow-up appointments with your doctors? Do you want to attend a large school or university or a smaller school where most people know each other? Do you want more individualized attention than you can get in large classes? Does the school offer services or assistance for any particular needs you may have?
Vocational Rehab
Although state vocational rehabilitation offices work primarily toward getting people employed, these offices can also be very helpful in the college process.
If you qualify for vocational rehabilitation, your vocational rehabilitation counselor will review your educational plans in terms of job potential. This will help ensure that the field that you are choosing is a match for your talents and strengths.
If you qualify for a vocational rehabilitation, under the amended Rehabilitation Act, you must apply for financial aid. Working with your college's financial aid office and the vocational rehabilitation office makes this a lengthy and time-consuming process. Contact both offices early in your college application process.
Academic Life
Be prepared to take the initiative on making the most of your education and be aware of your capabilities and limitations. If a 15-credit semester is too stressful to manage, think about taking one less class. Try to create a schedule that is well balanced and manageable.
If you have a diagnosed learning disability, be sure to discuss it with your school’s disability office or guidance counselor early on, to come up with an accommodation plan that will be conducive to your learning style.
Make sure that if you need extra time or a special environment for taking exams that you have letters or other documents from your doctor, nurse practitioner or professional evaluator so that you can show them to your professors. Having supporting documents in hand will make the process of asking your professors to accommodate you much smoother.
Featured Resource: Affordable Colleges Online offers free resources to connect students to affordable, high-quality education, including a section for students with cancer and survivors.
Educational Resources
Learning Disabilities Association of America
LDA provides support to people with learning disabilities, their parents, teachers and other professionals, as well as information on practical solutions and a comprehensive network of resources.
HEALTH Resource Center
The HEALTH Resource Center, part of the Graduate School of Education and Human Development, is the national clearinghouse on post-secondary education for individuals with disabilities.
United States Department of Education - Office for Civil Rights
The OCR serves student populations facing discrimination and enforces several Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities including the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act.
Entering The Workforce
When you begin your job hunt, consider carefully the types of positions that are a good fit for you. Be aware of the essential responsibilities and determine if you are capable of completing such tasks. Be sure to factor in what an employer offers in terms of benefits packages such as health insurance, life insurance, flextime, paid leave, sick days, etc.
The Job Interview
Survivors ask whether or not they should tell potential employers about their cancer history - especially if they've been off treatment for a relatively short time. Many people recommend that you do not volunteer information about your health history, including your cancer diagnosis, unless it directly affects your qualifications or ability to perform essential functions for that position. You should be able to talk about your work-relevant skills and experience without including the fact that you were treated for cancer.
But if you require workplace accommodations to meet your accessibility needs, it’s important to make sure your employer will have the resources to meet your needs - which may require an early, upfront conversation.
An employer has the right to know only that you can perform the essential duties of the job. An employer does not have the right to ask about personal or confidential information during an interview. You are not obligated to disclose your cancer history.
If a potential employer does ask an illegal question during the interview, try to turn the question into something that applies specifically to the job. Some experts suggest working with a job counselor to learn how to deal with situations like this and answer interview questions such as: "Why is there a time gap between jobs?" Cancer and Careers gives some examples of how to handle these tricky conversations, a skill they refer to as “the swivel.” As always, never lie or embellish on job applications or applications for health, life, or disability insurance.
Workplace Training
It is not uncommon for childhood cancer survivors to struggle with long-term cognitive effects that might impact job performance, such as memory problems or difficulty concentrating. Fortunately, there are resources that can help.
Vocational rehab programs are offered in all 50 states, for individuals with a documented disability. These services can help with resume development, workplace training, job searches, and more. To apply, contact your state’s Vocational Rehab agency.
Setting Professional Boundaries
Knowing your limits, your stress triggers, and how to say ‘no’ are important but often challenging workplace skills. In the long run, you’ll be a better employee - and a healthier survivor - when you’ve successfully navigated your professional boundaries. Learn more.
Employment Resource Spotlight: Cancer and Careers
The Cancer and Careers website offers free resources for survivors seeking employment, including a job search toolkit, a resume review service, and consultations with a career coach.
Knowing Your Rights
Some cancer survivors are concerned that their medical history may hurt their educational or employment opportunities. There are laws intended to prevent discrimination based on a student's or worker's health problems.
Although cancer does not carry the same stigma as it once did, survivors today may still have to deal with discrimination against them at work. Federal laws and most state laws prohibit employers from treating cancer survivors differently from other workers. In order for the law to apply to you, you must be qualified for the job and be able to perform its essential duties.
If you think you are being discriminated against, be sure to document such instances. Seek guidance from outside experts like a social worker from your long-term follow-up clinic who may be familiar with these situations. Talk to someone you trust in your human resources department and try to come up with some type of resolution with your employer. Legal action is always the last solution — but it’s important to know which federal laws grant you protection:
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) / Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
ADA is a federal law designed to prevent discrimination against people with disabilities in the work place, in businesses and in places open to the public. If your cancer diagnosis and/or treatment leaves you with a physical or cognitive disability, ADA might protect you.
ADA is currently the most comprehensive federal law that can protect cancer survivors from some types of job discrimination. However, ADA only applies to employers with 15 or more employees (with some exceptions like government employees and labor unions). ADA defines a disability as a major health impairment that limits a person's ability to do everyday activities. Cancer survivors may be protected as having a disability, regardless of whether they are in treatment, in remission, or cured.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
The IDEA is a law that makes available a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensures special education and related services to those children.
The IDEA governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education, and related services to more than 6.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities.
Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
FMLA allows people to take up to 12 months of unpaid leave if they need to attend to their own medical needs or the needs of immediate family members. But you must work for an employer who has more than 50 employees. You also must meet other requirements, such as working a minimum number of hours a week for at least one year.
When your leave is over, employers are required to restore you to the same position and to provide benefits, including health insurance, during your leave. Under FMLA, employers are also required to make "reasonable efforts" to accommodate your medical care schedule as long as it does not cause major disruption to the organization. The law requires employees to give their employer at least 30 days notice of "foreseeable" medical leave or as much notice as is practicable.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination based on disability in programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance, including schools and colleges. These programs must also provide students with disabilities access to appropriate educational services similar to those mentioned in the ADA section above.
To be protected under Section 504, a student must: 1) have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; 2) have a record of such an impairment; or 3) be regarded as having such an impairment. For more information on Section 504, visit www. ed.gov.
More on ADA Protections:
Students' Rights: ADA mandates that people with disabilities can't be excluded from taking part in public services or programs, including universities and technical schools. You cannot be denied admission because you have a disability. It also requires that "reasonable accommodations" be made for people with disabilities such as a university providing a sign-language interpreter for a cancer survivor who has hearing loss because of their treatment. Other examples include priority course registration, reducing a course load, substituting one course for another, providing note takers, and allowing extended time for testing. It is your responsibility to inform the school of your disability. Usually colleges and universities have what is called an ADA coordinator, who is responsible for making sure that the school is in compliance with the law. If you have any questions about ADA or other anti-discrimination laws, contact this person. Your academic counselor, dean or other administrator can direct you to the ADA coordinator.
Workers' Rights: According to ADA, a qualified individual with a disability is protected if the individual can perform the essential functions of the job. ADA prohibits employers from asking questions about your medical history. Employers can only ask medical history questions once a job has been offered. It also requires employers to make "reasonable accommodations," such as flextime or allowing an employee to take time off for treatment.
Benefit Protections:
Employee Retirement and Income Security Act (ERISA): ERISA is a law that prohibits employers from using knowledge of an employee’s health history to exclude him or her from benefit plans offered to other employees. The law also permits employees to appeal insurance decisions and to sue the employer or insurer if benefits are now provided in accordance with ERISA rules. The U.S. Department of Labor provides information about filing a claim, here.