The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), in partnership with the American Council of the Blind (ACB), is excited to provide financial support each year to students who are blind or have low vision. There exists multiple scholarship opportunities for college and graduate students with legal blindness attending a post-secondary learning institution.
The application deadline for the 2024-2025 school year is February 14th. Applicants will be notified in the spring if they have been awarded a scholarship. Visit the ACB scholarship page to learn more about the criteria and to submit an application.
AFB is thankful for the generous support of our donors over the years who have helped build out AFB’s endowment fund for scholarships. Their support has left a lasting legacy, expanding possibilities for students who are blind for generations to come.
Learn more about one of our recent benefactors in the Donor Corner section of our Focus on AFB Fall 2022 newsletter, which spotlights the generous bequest made through Lou and Noah Alfonso.
Organizations Offering Scholarships
ACB Scholarship Program
The American Council of the Blind’s (ACB) Scholarship Program was established in 1982. The American Council of the Blind (ACB), in partnership with other organizations and individuals, offers educational scholarships ranging from $2,000 to $7,500 for entering freshman, undergraduate, and graduate students and those attending technical college.
Email: scholarships@acb.org
Phone: (612) 332-3242 or (800) 866-3242
Website: https://www.acb.org/scholarships
Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER)
The Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired offers the Ferrell Scholarship to students who are legally blind and are preparing for a career in the education or rehabilitation of blind or visually impaired children or adults. For an application or additional information, contact:
AER Ferrell Scholarship Fund
1703 N. Beauregard Street, Suite 440
Alexandria, VA 22311
Telephone: 703-671-4500
Website: www.aerbvi.org/resources/aer-scholarships
The Blinded Veterans Association (BVA)
The Blinded Veterans Association offers scholarships to dependent children and spouses of veterans of the United States Armed Forces who are blind (either service or nonservice connected.) Veterans need not be members of the Blinded Veterans Association. For applications or additional information, contact:
The Kathern F. Gruber Scholarship Program and the Thomas H. Miller Awards
Blinded Veterans Association
477 H Street N.W.
Washington, DC 20001-2694
Telephone: 202-371-8880
Website: https://bva.org/programs/scholarships-awards/
The Christian Record Services
The Christian Record Services offers scholarships in all areas of study to undergraduate students who are legally blind. For applications or additional information, contact:
Christian Record Services
4444 South 52nd Street
Lincoln, NE 68516
Telephone: 402-488-0981
Website: https://www.washington.edu/doit/christian-record-services-scholarship
e-mail: info@christianrecord.org
Lavelle Fund for the Blind, Inc.
The Lavelle Fund for the Blind offers the Brother James P. Kearney Scholarship Program for the Blind, which aims to help make quality undergraduate and graduate education affordable for U.S. residents who are legally blind, financially needy, and attending any of 11 selected private colleges and universities in New York State and Northeastern New Jersey. For requirements and procedures for applying to eligible colleges' Financial Aid offices, contact:
Lavelle Fund for the Blind, Inc.
307 West 38th Street, Suite 2010
New York, NY 10018
Telephone: (212) 668-9801
Website: https://lavellefund.org/scholarship_program/
Learning Ally
Learning Ally offers the Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Awards (SAA) for college seniors and graduate students who are blind or visually impaired and the Marion Huber Learning Through Listening (LTL) Awards for high school seniors who are learning disabled. For applications or additional information, contact:
Learning Ally
Scholarship Office
20 Roszel Road
Princeton, NJ 08540
Telephone: 609-243-7051
Website: https://learningally.org/NAA
Lighthouse Guild
The Lighthouse Guild offers scholarships to college-bound high school seniors who are legally blind. For applications or additional information, contact:
The Lighthouse Guild
15 West 65th Street
New York, NY 10023
Telephone: 212-769-7801
Website: https://lighthouseguild.org/support-services/academic-and-career-services/scholarships/
e-mail: scholars@lighthouseguild.org
National Federation of the Blind (NFB)
The National Federation of the Blind's annual scholarship program is the largest nationwide. Every year, we award more than $250,000 in cash and prizes to blind scholars across the fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico in recognition of their achievements and professional aspirations.
Chairperson, NFB Scholarship Committee
Jernigan Place
200 East Wells Street
Baltimore, MD 21230
Telephone: (410) 659-9314, x. 2415
Website: www.nfb.org/scholarships
e-mail: scholarships@nfb.org
Colleges and Universities Offering Scholarships
Fordham University Law School
Fordham University Law School offers the Amy Reiss Endowed Scholarship to students who are physically disabled and are interested in pursuing a J.D. degree from Fordham Law School. For an application or additional information, contact:
Director of Financial Aid
Fordham University
140 West 63rd Street
New York, NY 10023
Telephone: 212-636-6815
Web site: https://www.fordham.edu/info/20645/financial_aid
Western Michigan University
For many years, the Department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies at Western Michigan University has received federal and other grants to provide student financial support. Several scholarships and graduate assistantships are also available through other sources. Some type of financial support is available at most times to students. However, specific levels of support vary depending on grant cycles and other factors.
Most financial support requires students to become employed after graduation in vision rehabilitation for two years for every year that support is provided. A limited number of graduate assistantships are available. These assistantships provide financial assistance to students who work 10 to 20 hours a week for the department.
Prospective students should contact program coordinators to verify the support available under specific circumstances. For applications or additional information, contact:
Department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies
Attention: Nancy Cretsinger
Western Michigan University
1903 W Michigan Avenue
Kalamazoo, MI 49008
Telephone: 616-387-3455
Website: http://www.wmich.edu/visionstudies/scholarships
e-mail: nancy.cretsinger@wmich.edu
