A complete application submitted before the deadline (March 31, 2024) consists of the scholarship application form, the required documents listed below, and one interview. See the frequently asked questions (FAQs) for detailed information on each item.
Deadline
March 31, 2024, midnight, ET (online date or postmarked mail)
File Formats
Documents submitted via uploading to your online application form or sent via attachment to an email must be in DOC, DOCX, RTF, or PDF file format. We do not accept faxed documents.
Required Documents
- One completed scholarship application form, online or in print (see FAQ #9); non-applicable questions should be marked N/A; until the deadline you may return to your online application as often as you wish to edit or change it, or to delete or replace any attached documents. Remember, you MUST hit the submit button before midnight on March 31, 2024.
- One essay, limited to 700 words or less (see FAQ #21).
- At least one letter of recommendation (see FAQ #23); you may send more than one letter of recommendation if you wish; the author may send their letter directly to us (via email or to the address at the bottom of this page) or, if the author permits, you may forward the letter to us.
- Transcript(s) (see FAQ #22); provide a transcript (original or copy) from the institution you are currently attending and from all other postsecondary institutions you’ve attended; if you have attended less than one year of higher education, provide your high school transcript; we accept transcripts sent by your institution, by a forwarding service, or by you.
- High school seniors only—report(s) on college entrance examinations should be submitted, if available (see FAQ #22); send a copy of your report summary from the ACT, SAT, or other such standardized tests.
- Proof of legal blindness (see FAQs #12 and #13); do not send actual medical records; provide a clear statement from a qualified professional that certifies you are "legally blind" in both eyes according to the federal definition; you may use our "Confirmation of Legal Blindness" form (which shows the preferred information) or a signed statement on business/agency letterhead; you may scan and upload a signed statement or send a copy of the original document; certifying authority: the statement must be completed by a trained certifying authority, such as an optician, optometrist, ophthalmologist, physician; rehabilitation counselor, itinerant teacher, or other professional in work with the blind; or the president of an NFB state affiliate.
- One affiliate president's interview (see FAQ #24); before the deadline of March 31, applicants must request AND accomplish an interview (usually by telephone) with the NFB affiliate president (or the president's appointee) located in the student's home state or college state, unless the state president chooses to schedule the interview after March 31; phone/email information for state presidents is available at nfb.org/about-us/state-affiliates; contact the scholarship office if your request for an interview is not answered within a week.
How to Apply
Apply online using our online application. The online application will close at midnight Eastern Time March 31, 2024.
Phone
410-659-9314, extension 2415 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET)
Mailing Address
NFB Scholarship Program
National Federation of the Blind
200 East Wells Street
Baltimore, MD 21230