The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is proud to support the educational and career aspirations of blind students.
Through the generosity of the Lulu J. Alonso Scholarship Fund, the AFB Scholars Program is designed to provide financial assistance, celebrate academic and personal achievements, and empower recipients to contribute meaningfully to their communities and the broader blindness community.
AFB aims to elevate students with exceptional potential, foster future leaders, and build a network of individuals dedicated to creating a more inclusive world. We believe in your ability to make a difference.
The AFB Research Scholarship aims to increase and support the number of blind and low vision students entering the field of applied research. This scholarship is designed to:
- Support blind students’ long-term career development in the research field during the scholarship period and beyond.
- Offer mentorship to address the unique barriers blind researchers face.
Eligibility Requirements
To be considered for an AFB Research Scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Legal Blindness: All applicants must be legally blind. Legal blindness is defined as an individual who cannot see better than 20/200 with correction or whose visual field in the best eye is 20 degrees or less at the widest diameter with correction. Applicants must provide official documentation verifying their legal blindness status, including but not limited to medical records, vocational rehabilitation documentation (on letterhead), NLS registration, etc.
- Age: Must be 18 years or older by the start of the upcoming Fall semester.
- Academic Enrollment: Applicants must be enrolled or planning to enroll as full-time students in a degree-seeking program at an accredited institution for the upcoming Fall semester and conducting research during the academic year under the supervision of a university advisor.
- Academic Level:
- Graduate students (Masters or Doctoral)
- Graduate Award - $28,000 per academic year
- Advanced undergraduate students who have completed at least one year of research coursework at the university level (e.g. statistics or research methods).
- Undergraduate Award - $20,000 per academic year
- U.S. Citizenship: Applicants must be citizens of the United States.
- Minimum GPA: Applicants must have a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA (unweighted).
Upon receipt of the scholarship, awardees must maintain the following activities:
- Mentorship Activities: Scholarship recipients must engage in mentorship activities with a blind or low vision AFB researcher, completing one activity per quarter (or two activities per semester) during the academic year.
- Conference Participation: Scholarship recipients must attend one pre-approved conference with an AFB leader during the scholarship year, gaining professional and networking experience aligned with their career goals.
- Annual Progress Report: Scholars will conduct research throughout the year as a part of their academic program under the supervision of their university advisor. At the end of the academic year, scholars must submit a written narrative outlining project milestones and status presented in the scholar’s accepted application as well as their academic and professional growth.
Scholars are eligible to renew the scholarship for the next academic year as long as they continue to meet all eligibility requirements and effectively met all required expectations during the previous year.
Application Requirements
Your application will consist of the following:
- Demographic Information: Basic details about you, your educational background, and your plans for the upcoming academic year.
- Transcripts and Documentation:
- Most recent academic transcript
- Official documentation verifying legal blindness (ex. medical records, vocational rehabilitation documentation (on letterhead), NLS registration, etc.)
- Acceptance letter (if applicable)
- Written Responses: Thoughtful responses to questions about your educational and career goals, leadership experiences, challenges overcome, community service, and your ideas for the future. (Suggested response length is 250-500 words per question. Please note, there is a 5000 character limit per question on the online application.)
- What motivates you to pursue your current academic field and research interests?
- What is a skill or area of knowledge you are currently working to improve? How does it relate to your academic or research work?
- Please describe the research activities you will be conducting this upcoming school year as part of your academic program, under the supervision of your university advisor. In your response, include your research question(s), methods, anticipated outcomes, etc.
- What impact do you hope your research will have on policy, practice, and/or the broader community?
- If applicable, please describe how your research addresses issues related to blindness, low vision, and/or disability inclusion.
- How do you believe your research will align with AFB’s mission, values, and/or strategic priorities?
- Share a specific challenge you faced as a blind or low vision individual in your education, and how you overcame it.
- Describe a time when you took on a leadership role or worked collaboratively with a team. What did you learn from the experience?
- How do you plan to use your education and research experience to influence or lead in your chosen field?
Note: We recommend that you prepare your responses in advance to avoid the application session timing out during submission.
Selection Process
The selection committee will evaluate applications based on academic achievement, leadership potential, personal growth, and alignment with AFB’s mission. Shortlisted applications will be invited for a 1-hour interview with the committee to further discuss their aspirations and qualifications.
Need Assistance
If you have any questions about the application process, you may contact us at inclusivefuture@afb.org or by sending a message via our web contact form.
