The 2003 National Federation of the

The 2003 National Federation of the

The Braille Monitor

November 2002

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The 2003 National Federation

of the

Blind Scholarship Program

This

year's scholarship program will be the twentieth since the organization determined

to expand the number, variety, and value of the scholarships presented each

year at our annual convention in July. Assisting the nation's most talented

post-secondary students to fulfill their academic and professional dreams is

one of the most effective ways for us to demonstrate our conviction that blind

people deserve the chance to enter whatever field they demonstrate themselves

equipped to succeed in.

Scholarships

will be presented this year to thirty college, vocational-school, and graduate

students. Again this year the NFB awards will range in value from $3,000 to

$10,000. This top scholarship has been named the Kenneth Jernigan Memorial Scholarship

and is presented by the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults.

We will, of course, also bring the winners as our guests to the 2003 convention

of the National Federation of the Blind to experience firsthand the excitement

and stimulation of a gathering of the largest and most dynamic organization

of blind people in the country today.

Again

we plan to present at least three of the scholarships to students who won scholarship

awards in a previous competition. The purpose of these special awards is to

nurture in today's students an ongoing commitment to the philosophy and objectives

of the Federation. The students so designated will be recognized and honored

as the 2003 tenBroek Fellows. All current students who were scholarship winners

in previous years should take particular note of this program and consider applying

for the 2003 National Federation of the Blind scholarships.

Full-time

employees interested in pursuing post-secondary degrees should take a close

look at the scholarship form because one award may be given to a part-time student

holding down a full-time job.

One

additional enhancement of the scholarship program this year is the Freedom Scientific

awards, presented by the access-technology company Freedom Scientific, Inc.

At least four awards of vouchers redeemable for company products will be presented

to members of the scholarship class chosen by the Scholarship Committee.

Every state affiliate and

local chapter can help in spreading the word of this extraordinary opportunity

for America's blind students. The scholarship application is now available for

downloading from the NFB Web site <www.nfb.org>,

and forms have been or soon will be mailed to financial aid offices in educational

institutions around the country. Many of these will be filed away and forgotten

by the time students come to ask about financial assistance. It is very helpful

to have local representatives deliver or mail forms to the actual college administrator

who works with blind students. Being identified with such a valuable national

scholarship program gives the local chapter and state affiliate prestige and

respect, and the local touch insures that more blind students will actually

have an opportunity to apply for these scholarships.

Anyone can order scholarship
forms from the Materials Center, National Federation of the Blind, 1800 Johnson
Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230, or <[email protected]>.
State presidents and members of the 2003 Scholarship Committee will also be
sent scholarship forms. These may be copied as long as both sides of the form
are reproduced. Please do what you can to spread the word about this program.

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