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Home > AFB 2008 Scholarship Application

AFB 2008 Scholarship Application

The scholarship application period for 2008 is now closed. Those who have submitted complete applications will receive a response by July, 2008. If you've missed the deadline, please consider reapplying next year.

We are now accepting applications for the 2008 AFB scholarships. Please read through the instructions carefully, as our application process has changed from previous years.

It is in your best interest to review the entire application before submitting the application. Most of AFB's scholarships are designated for specific fields of study. Please read the scholarship descriptions carefully, so that you choose scholarships that are available for your field of study. You will only be considered for the scholarships that you select on the application.

APPLICATIONS AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY AFB NO LATER THAN MARCH 31, 2008.

THE SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE WILL REVIEW ONLY THOSE APPLICATIONS THAT ARE COMPLETE WITH SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS AND MEET ALL SCHOLARSHIP REQUIREMENTS.

THE AFB SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE WILL NOT SEND REMINDERS OR NOTICES TO STUDENTS WHO ARE MISSING DOCUMENTATION. It is your responsibility to make sure that your documentation is in order. When you submit your application, a checklist will be sent to you via email which will guide you in assembling your scholarship packet.

General Requirements: You may use this application form to apply for more than one scholarship. It is not necessary to include multiple copies of supporting documents, even if you are applying for more than one scholarship. All applications MUST include the following items, without exception:

COMPLETED ONLINE APPLICATION for 2008, including all three sections of the essay. Essays will not be accepted separately from the application. You may cut and paste your essay from a word processing program when you are ready to submit the application. The essay section of the application is comprised of three sections. Part One (at least 200 words) concerns your past and current achievements; Part Two (at least 200 words) concerns your field of study and why you have chosen it; Part Three (at least 200 words) concerns what role your visual impairment has played in shaping your life.
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS: An official, original transcript from the school you are presently attending and the one most recently attended. High school students need to send only the current transcript. Undergraduate students should send the high school transcript and the current transcript. Graduate students should send the undergraduate transcript and the current transcript.
PROOF OF POST-SECONDARY ACCEPTANCE: A letter or documentation from a college or university admissions office establishing that you have been accepted to post-secondary studies in an accredited program.
TWO (2) LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION: Only letters from academic advisors, teachers, or rehabilitation counselors will be accepted.
PROOF OF U.S. CITIZENSHIP: Only the following items will be accepted - a photocopy of a birth certificate, naturalization papers, or a photocopy of a U.S. passport. [EXCEPTION: U.S. citizenship is NOT required for the Ferdinand Torres Scholarship.]
PROOF OF LEGAL BLINDNESS: AFB requires a recently signed letter on a single page of official stationery from an optometrist, ophthalmologist, or state or private agency for the blind, certifying that you are legally blind. No other statements, medical reports, or affidavits will be accepted. The letter must clearly state that you are legally blind (i.e., have best corrected visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye, and/or a visual field of less than 20 degrees in the better eye).

For scholarships requiring proof of economic need:

FAFSA (Free Application For Federal Student Aid): AFB requires a copy of the Student Aid Report (SAR) section of your FAFSA application. No other proof of economic need will be considered. Please make sure that the entire Student Aid Report is sent to us. [EXCEPTION: non-citizens applying for the Ferdinand Torres Scholarship must provide other official papers as proof of economic need.] To obtain your Student Aid Report: Go to the FAFSA Home Page at www.fafsa.us.gov. On the home page is a heading titled FAFSA FOLLOW UP. Beneath that is a link called "View and Print your Student Aid Report." Selecting this link will guide you through the process of obtaining a print version of your current Student Aid Report.

Supporting documents are to be collected and SENT IN ONE ENVELOPE to the AFB Scholarship Committee. Do not send any documents until you have all the materials required. Incomplete scholarship packets will not be considered.

The following scholarships are available for 2008:

Scholarships in the Field of Rehabilitation and/or Education of Persons who are Blind or Visually Impaired:

The Delta Gamma Foundation Florence Margaret Harvey Memorial Scholarship: One (1) scholarship of $1,000 to an undergraduate or graduate student in the field of rehabilitation or education of persons who are blind or visually impaired.

The Rudolph Dillman Memorial Scholarship: A one-time award not open to previous recipients. It provides four (4) scholarships of $2,500 each to undergraduates or graduates who are studying full-time in the field of rehabilitation or education of persons who are blind and/or visually impaired. One of these awards is reserved specifically for a student who presents proof of economic need (Student Aid Report required).

Scholarship for Engineering or Computer, Physical, or Life Sciences:

The Paul and Helen Ruckes Scholarship: Provides one (1) scholarship of $1,000 to a full-time undergraduate or graduate student in the field of engineering or in computer, physical, or life sciences.

Scholarship for Literature or Music:

The R.L. Gillette Scholarship: Two (2) scholarships of $1,000 each to women who are enrolled in a full-time four-year undergraduate degree program in literature or music.

In addition to the general requirements, Gillette applicants must submit with their supporting documents:

A performance tape/CD not to exceed 30 minutes, or a creative writing sample.

General Subject Scholarships:

The Guide Dogs for the Blind Dorthea and Roland Bohde Personal Achievement Scholarship provides one (1) scholarship of $1,000 to a full-time undergraduate student in any field of study.

The Karen D. Carsel Memorial Scholarship provides one (1) scholarship of $500 to a full-time graduate student who presents evidence of economic need. (Student Aid Report required.)

The Ferdinand Torres Scholarship provides one (1) scholarship of $2,500 to a full-time undergraduate or graduate student. Strong preference will be given to new immigrants to the United States, and to those residing in the New York City metropolitan area. To be eligible the applicant must reside in the United States, but need not be a citizen of the United States.

In addition to the general requirements, Torres applicants must submit with their supporting documents:

Evidence of economic need
Proof of residence in the United States (e.g. telephone bill; utility bill)
Immigrants must include a description of country of origin and reason for coming to the U.S. (To be included in Part Four of the application essay.)

The AFB Scholarship Application Form:

Part I: Please check all scholarships for which you wish to be considered:

DELTA GAMMA MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

RUDOLPH DILLMAN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

PAUL AND ELLEN RUCKES SCHOLARSHIP

R. L. GILLETTE SCHOLARSHIP

GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND SCHOLARSHIP

KAREN D. CARSEL MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

FERDINAND TORRES SCHOLARSHIP

II. Personal Information

Name:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Phone (day):
Phone (evening):
E-mail:

Gender:
Date of Birth:
U.S. Citizen:

III. Educational Background

A. School In Which You Are Presently Enrolled:

Name of Current School:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Major:
Status:
Degree/Certificate Sought (e.g. HS diploma, BA, BS, MA, MS, PhD):
Date Degree Expected (month/year):

B. School Which You Plan to Attend in Fall 2008 (if different from above):

Name of Fall 2008 School:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Major:
Status:
Degree/Certificate Sought (e.g. BA, BS, MA, MS, PhD):
Date Degree Expected (month/year):

THE ESSAY:

Each section of the essay must contain a minimum of 200 words or the application will not be accepted for submission.

Part One: Please tell us of your past and recent achievements and accomplishments.

Part Two: Please indicate your intended field of study and why you've chosen it.

Part Three: Please describe what role your visual impairment has played in shaping your life.

Part Four: [FOR TORRES APPLICANTS WHO ARE IMMIGRANTS] Please write a brief description of your country of origin and your reasons for coming to the U.S.

ALL supporting documentation must be collected IN ONE ENVELOPE and postmarked by the deadline date of March 31, 2008. No partial packets will be considered. No faxes will be accepted.

Mail completed AFB Scholarship application materials to:

American Foundation for the Blind
Scholarship Committee
Information Center
11 Penn Plaza, Suite 300
New York, NY 10001
Attn: Dawn Bodrogi

For additional information contact:

AFB Information Center
Telephone: (212) 502-7661
Toll Free: (800) 232-5463

Learn About:

Information For:

Community Center:

Cortical Visual Impairment:
An Approach to Assessment and Intervention

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