The 2004 National Federation of the

The 2004 National Federation of the

The Braille Monitor

November,

2003

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The 2004

National Federation of the

Blind

Scholarship Program

This year's scholarship

program will be the twenty-first 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 postsecondary

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

$12,000. 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 2004 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 2004 tenBroek Fellows. All current students who were scholarship winners

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

for the 2004 National Federation of the Blind scholarships.

Full-time

employees interested in pursuing postsecondary 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.

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 21230-4998, or <[email protected]>.
State presidents and members of the 2004 Scholarship Committee will also be
sent scholarship forms. These may be copied as long as all sides of the form
are reproduced. The 2004 scholarship form is now downloadable from our Web site,
<www.nfb.org>. Please do what you can to spread the word about this program.

___________________________________________________________________________

Planned giving takes place

when a contributor decides to leave a substantial gift to charity. It means

planning as you would for any substantial purchase--a house, college tuition,

or a car. The most common forms of planned giving are wills and life insurance

policies. There are also several planned giving options through which you can

simultaneously give a substantial contribution to the National Federation of

the Blind, obtain a tax deduction, and receive lifetime income now or in the

future. For more information write or call the National Federation of the Blind,

Special Gifts, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230-4998, (410) 659-9314,

fax (410) 685-5653.

___________________________________________________________________________

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