National Federation of the Blind Texas Scholarship

Each year the National Federation of the Blind of Texas offers scholarships to the best and brightest blind students in the state. The scholarships are awarded during our annual convention. This year the convention will be held on the weekend of November 8-10, 2024. The site for this year's convention is the Crowne Plaza Dallas Downtown. Attendance, at our expense, is mandatory for all finalists. Finalists should plan to arrive at the hotel no later than 4:00 PM, on November 8, and should plan to leave the hotel no earlier than noon on November 8.

ELIGIBILITY

The following requirements apply to all applicants:

• Must be legally blind in both eyes.
• Must be a resident of Texas. Texas residency means that you must be living in Texas at the time of application.
• Must be pursuing or planning to pursue a full-time, post-secondary course of study at a U. S. institution of higher education in the fall of the application year. Members of the National Federation of the Blind of Texas value both work and education. Therefore, the committee may, at its discretion, grant one scholarship to a student who attends school part-time while working full-time. It may also consider students who are attending a trade or technical school on a full-time basis.
• Must attend the entire convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Texas.

ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIPS 

In 2024 the National Federation of the Blind of Texas will award five (5) scholarships. They are:

NFBTX MERIT SCHOLARSHIP 

One (1) scholarship in the amount of $2,000.00. This scholarship is funded through public donations. No additional restrictions apply to this scholarship.

MIKE VANDERVOORT & TOMMY CRAIG MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP 

One (1) scholarship in the amount of $2,000.00. This scholarship is funded through a generous donation from Mary Kindrick, Mike's partner of many years, and Margaret "Cokie" Craig, Tommy's widow. Mike was a well-respected member of the National Federation of the Blind of Texas, and Tommy served as president of our affiliate for a number of years. Both men believed strongly in education and in making opportunities available to young people. Mary and Cokie have a strong desire to carry on their legacies of promoting education among young, blind people. This scholarship will be awarded as often as funding is available. No additional restrictions apply.

NFBTX CHAPTER SCHOLARSHIP

One (1) scholarship in the amount of $2,000.00. This scholarship is funded through generous donations from chapters of the National Federation of the Blind of Texas. No additional restrictions apply to this scholarship.

NFBTX MEMBERS SCHOLARSHIP 

One (1) scholarship in the amount of $2,500. This scholarship is granted by the members of the National Federation of the Blind of Texas. No additional restrictions apply.

HARLEY FETTERMAN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP 

One (1) scholarship in the amount of $3,000. This scholarship is funded by our members, public donations, and generous support from Harley's Wallet, a nonprofit founded by Harley's family. The scholarship is named in honor of Harley Fetterman, a Federationist who lost his battle with cancer, in 2016, at the age of eighteen. Although Harley was only with us for a short time, his contributions to the blindness community were immeasurable. No additional restrictions apply to this scholarship.

CRITERIA 

Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic excellence and community service. The National Federation of the Blind of Texas is dedicated to providing opportunities to all blind people. Therefore, membership in the organization is not a requirement.

HOW TO APPLY 

In order to be considered for a scholarship from the NFB of Texas, applicants must submit the following documents:

1. a completed copy of this application. Answers to all questions are required. If the question does not apply to you, write N/A in the field.
2. proof of legal blindness. This can be supplied by a doctor or your vocational rehabilitation counselor. Legal blindness is defined as an acuity of 20/200 in the better eye with best correction or a field loss such that you have 20 degrees field of view or less in the better eye. Blindness or vision loss in one eye does not meet the legal definition of blindness. Applicants must be at least legally blind in both eyes.
3. a current transcript. Electronic copies are preferred.
4. an essay. If you are completing the online application form, please note that the form includes a space for you to write your essay. The essay should be no longer than 700 words and should provide the committee with more information about you, skills you use in school and in everyday life, and any other details that you believe will help the committee make an informed decision about your application. What make you, you?
5. one letter of recommendation. The letter should be from someone who has knowledge of your academic skills, how you manage as a blind person in an academic or work setting, and your plans for the future. Letters from family members are not acceptable. Letters from mentors, teachers or professors, community service coordinators with whom you have worked, employers, and rehabilitation professionals are all acceptable. However, these are just examples of who you might ask to recommend you.
6. proof of acceptance. This requirement applies to incoming freshmen only. Please submit a letter from at least one college or university showing that you have been accepted to their program.