scholarship form

Fill out the application and attach the following documents or arrange to have them sent directly to the scholarship committee by the due date:

 

1. Personal Letter from Applicant. NFB scholarships are granted on the basis of scholastic excellence, demonstrated leadership attributes, financial need, and community service. In preparing your personal letter, keep in mind that the committee members are all successful blind college graduates. Convey your best qualities and your personal attitudes about your blindness. Since the awards are restricted to blind persons, the committee will be interested in the techniques and approaches you use to overcome blindness. Almost all blind students have financial need. Committee members will assume basic need, so you may choose merely to refer to this topic unless your need is unusual.

 

2. Two letters of recommendation.

 

3. Current transcript from institution now attending and complete transcripts from all other post-secondary institutions attended. If you have not yet attended such an institution or have not completed one year of study, send high school transcript.

 

 

4. Letter from a Federation state official. This person will need to speak with applicants personally; parents or school officials may help set up appointments but cannot do the actual interviews. State officials send letters of recommendation directly to the scholarship Committee, where they are added to the student's file along with transcripts and other materials mailed separately. Applicants should mail materials to the scholarship committee and should check that the interviewer's letter is sent. If you do not know the name or phone number of an NFB state official, call the state office, as listed above, for this information.

 

Each year at its State Convention in November, the NFB of Pennsylvania gives up to two scholarships to recognize achievement by blind scholars. All applicants for these scholarships must be (1) legally blind, (2) pursuing or planning to pursue a full-time postsecondary course of study in the fall semester of 2022, and (3) not a winner of another National Federation of the Blind scholarship within the same year.  Winners will be expected to participate in the entire Pennsylvania state convention, usually held in November, beginning with functions on Thursday at 1 PM and ending Sunday at noon.

It should be noted that NFB of Pennsylvania scholarships are intended to provide enrichment activities to those chosen to receive them.  They are funded by charitable contributions and are not intended to reduce payments for education made by any other institution on behalf of the recipient.  Should this occur, the NFB of Pennsylvania reserves the right to withhold payment of the scholarship.

 

Decisions of the scholarship committee are final.

 

By attending the State Convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania, you will be able to meet other blind students and exchange information and ideas. You will also be able to meet and talk with blind people who are successfully functioning in your chosen profession or occupation. Government officials, members of Congress, and the makers and distributors of new technology may attend Federation conventions. Above all, a broad cross section of the most active segment of the blind population of the state will be present to discuss common problems and plan for concerted action. It is an interesting and exciting weekend.  The awards will be made during the banquet.

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE

 

READ CAREFULLY

 

It should be noted that the awards granted by the National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania should not be confused with those awarded by the National Federation of the Blind on a national level.

 

National awards are valued at $8000 or more and there are 30 granted every year.  As it is a national program, applicants from throughout the country are accepted.

 

The National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania grants up to two scholarships each valued at $1000 and recipients are restricted to residents of Pennsylvania.

 

Since the committee recognizes the fact that numerous applications for scholarships can consume much of a student's time, the NFB of Pennsylvania has attempted to follow a format which is very similar to that of the national scholarship program.  This does not mean, however, that information provided to the national scholarship committee is available to the state committee.  If an application is made to each program, it is the student's responsibility to arrange for each committee to receive letters of recommendation, transcripts, and the like.

 

The letter of recommendation for a national scholarship will be written only by the president of the NFB of Pennsylvania or his delegate.  The letter of recommendation for a state scholarship, however, may be written by a state board member or a chapter president, but will be sent separately to the committee.

 

If there are any questions about either of the NFB's scholarship programs, please contact the state office.

 

A person need not be a member of the National Federation of the Blind to be considered for a scholarship.