The American Council of the Blind will present more than two dozen scholarships and awards to outstanding blind students in 2008. All legally blind, full-time students admitted to academic and vocational training programs at the post-secondary level for the 2008-09 school year are encouraged to apply for one of these scholarships. Part-time students who are working full-time are also invited to apply for the John Hebner Memorial Scholarship.
A cumulative grade point average of 3.3 is generally required, but extenuating circumstances may be considered for certain scholarships.
Applicants must be legally blind in both eyes.
Applications may be completed on line, but supporting documentation must be submitted in hard copy print, post-marked by March 1, 2008, and sent to:
Patricia Castillo
American Council of the Blind
Scholarship Program
1155 15th St., NW
Suite 1004
Washington, DC 20005
Please note: We will determine which scholarships you qualify for based on the information you provide on your application. It is not necessary for you to submit more than one application. If you have additional questions or wish to request a hard copy of the application package, please call (202) 467- 5081 ext. 20. The ACB Scholarship Committee will interview leading candidates by telephone in April. The winners will be notified by May 31, 2008. Scholarships will be presented at the 47th annual national convention of the American Council of the Blind to be held July 5-12, 2008, in Louisville, Kentucky. Scholarship winners are expected to be present at the convention if they have reached their 18th birthday. Generally, ACB will cover all reasonable costs connected with convention attendance.
Former leaders in and near the ACB community who have been memorialized by generous benefactors include Delbert Aman, Dr. S. Bradley Burson, William G. Corey, Dr. Mae Davidow, Nicholas S. DiCaprio, Eunice Fiorito, John Hebner, Grant M. Mack, Alma Murphey, Floyd Qualls, and Arnold Sadler. Special thanks should also be extended to those who remembered Duane Buckley and James Olsen in such fitting manners. The Ross N. and Patricia Pangere Foundation scholarships are also given as a way of giving back to the community. ACB also administers scholarship programs for its affiliates in Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, and Oregon.
We wish to thank Kurzweil Foundation for its anticipated continued annual gift of the Kurzweil 1000 software to our winners.
Note: Potential candidates will be considered for other scholarships not yet verified, if available.
If you are a student, or even just thinking about your academic future, be sure to visit www.blindstudents.org to learn more about the National Alliance of Blind Students, the nation’s leading organization of students with visual impairments for over 30 years.