Scholarships

Scholarships

Future Reflections January- February 1984, Vol. 3 No. 1
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SCHOLARSHIPS
Reprinted from the November, 1983 BRAILLE
MONITOR
In the October, 1983, issue of the Monitor we
carried preliminary information concerning
our expanded scholarship program. Now, plans
have been finalized, and we are ready to go full speed ahead. As we stated in the October issue,
the Scholarship Committee is being expanded
and reorganized. The Committee for 1983-84
(their terms expire at the end of the 1984
Convention) consist of the following thirteen
people: Peggy Pinder, Iowa, Chairman; Sharon
Gold, California; Homer Page, Colorado; Gary
Mackenstadt, Washington; Fred Schroeder,
New Mexico; John Halverson, District of
Columbia; Barbara Pierce, Ohio; Joanne
Fernandes, Louisiana; Charles Brown, Virginia;
Allen Harris, Michigan; Jim Hudson,
Arkansas; Priscilla Ferris, Massachusetts; and
Steve Benson, Illinois.
Our Scholarship Application Form (copy reproduced
at the end of this article) consists of a
single legal-sized page with printing on both
sides. We are making an initial printing of
twenty thousand of these forms. They will be
sent to every college and university in the
country, every agency doing work with the
blind, every Congressional office, every state
president, and every member of the Scholarship
Committee. They will also be sent to anyone
requesting them. They are worthwhile scholarships,
and they can be of real assistance to
blind students. Information about our scholarship
program should be disseminated as widely
as possible. The following information is contained
on the scholarship form:
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Each year the National Federation of the Blind
offers a broad array of scholarships. These
scholarships are bestowed at the Federation's
Annual Convention in early July and are given
to blind persons pursuing or planning to pursue a full-time post secondary course of training or
study. We are currently offering the following:
1. Howard Brown Rickard Scholarship.
This scholarship in the amount of $2,500.00
this year is awarded annually. Only students
in certain fields of study are eligible because
the donor of the scholarship wanted to encourage
the blind to enter those fields. The
scholarship was established by Thomas E.
Rickard in honor of his father, Howard Brown
Rickard. Any legally blind university student
in the professions of law, medicine, engineering,
architecture, or the natural sciences, including
undergraduates in these fields, is eligible to
apply.
2. Hermione Grant Calhoun Scholarships.
Two of these scholarships (each in the amount
of $2,500.00 this year) are awarded annually.
Dr. Isabelle Grant established the Hermione
Grant Calhoun Scholarships in memory of her
daughter. These scholarships are awarded to
blind female students for education at the
college level.
3. Melva T. Owen Memorial Scholarship.
This scholarship (amount not yet determined
this year, but not less than $1,200.00) is given
annually. This scholarship is given in memory
of Melva T. Owen, who was widely known and
loved among the blind. She and her husband
Charles Owen became acquainted with increasing
numbers of blind people through their
work in the "Voicepondence" Club. In the
words of Charles Owen, "There shall be no
limitation as to field of study, except that it
shall be directed towards attaining financial
independence, and shall exclude religion and
those seeking only to further their general or
cultural education."
4. National Federation of the Blind Merit
Scholarships. Eight of these scholarships
(each in the amount of $2,500.00) will be given
this year. Applicants for these scholarships
must be studying (or planning to study) at the
post-secondary level. There is no restriction as
to sex, graduate or undergraduate level, or field
of study.
Criteria. Federation scholarships are awarded
on the basis of academic excellence, service to
the community, and financial need.
Membership. The National Federation of the
Blind is an organization dedicated to creating
opportunities for all blind persons. In furtherance of this goal, we have established our
scholarship program. Recipients of Federation
scholarships need not be members of the
National Federation of the Blind.
Deadline. Applications for National Federation
of the Blind scholarships must be submitted
by March 31 of the year in which the
scholarship is to be awarded. Applications for
scholarships will be accepted from July 1
through March 31 for scholarships to be
awarded in July.
Making Application. To apply for National
Federation of the Blind scholarships, complete
and return the application on the reverse side
of this sheet. Multiple applications are unnecessary.
The Scholarship Committee will consider
each applicant as a candidate for all scholarships
for which he or she qualifies. Please
provide all the information requested where
applicable to you. Please attach to your application
all the additional documents requested on
the application. Send the completed application
and attachments to:
Miss Peggy Pinder, Chairman
National Federation of the Blind
Scholarship Committee
1005 Nebraska Street
Sioux City, Iowa 51105
Reapplication. In the past we have often
awarded scholarships to persons who were
applying for the second or third time. Applicants
must re-submit their applications each
year by March 31 to be considered for scholarships
to be awarded in July. Persons who have
previously applied and who have not been
granted scholarships are encouraged to apply
again.
Finalists. Each year our Scholarship Committee
reviews all applications and selects the
top candidates as finalists. These finalists
(usually about twice as many as there are
scholarships to award) will be notified of their
selection by June 1 and will be brought to the
National Federation of the Blind Convention
in July. Regardless of whether a candidate
becomes a scholarship recipient, it is, of course,
an honor to be chosen as a finalist. Financial
assistance to attend the Convention may be
provided to those finalists who need and
request it. This is in addition to the scholarship
grants.
The Convention is the largest gathering of
blind persons (more than 2,000) to occur anywhere
in the nation each year. You will be able
to meet with other blind students and exchange
information and ideas, and you will also be
able to meet and talk with blind people who are
successfully functioning in your chosen profession
or occupation. Federal officials, Congressmen,
and Senators, and the makers and distributors of new technology attend Federation
Conventions. Above all, a broad cross section of the most active segment of the blind
population of the United States will be present
to discuss common problems, exchange information
and ideas, and plan for concerted action. It
is an interesting and exciting week.
Awards. The day before the Convention
Banquet the Scholarship Committee will meet
to select from the finalists the scholarship
recipients. The scholarship awards will be
made during the banquet.
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