Beyond the Stacks: A blog from the MD LBPD: Community Post: NFB- MD Scholarship

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Community Post: NFB- MD Scholarship

NFB- MD Scholarship

Contributed by Ronza Othman,

President - National Federation of the Blind of Maryland

The National Federation of the Blind and the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland each administer a separate scholarship program for post-secondary students. The deadline to apply for an NFB scholarship is March 31, 2020, and the deadline to apply for an NFBMD Scholarship is April 15, 2020.

National Scholarship Program:

Each year, the NFB awards 30 merit-based scholarships totaling at least $120,000. Scholarships range in amount from $3,000 to $12,000. Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, leadership, and community service. The 30 scholarship finalists are announced in the spring and attend the National Convention, where they are awarded a specific scholarship. Application materials must be submitted (online or postmarked) by 11:59PM on March 31, 2020.

To be eligible, applicants must:

Be legally blind in both eyes;
Reside in the United States, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico;
Be pursuing or planning to pursue a full-time, post-secondary course of study in a degree program at a U.S. institution in the Fall of 2020 (one scholarship may be awarded to an individual who works full-time and attends school part-time); and
Attend the entire National Convention of the National Federation of the Blind (and all scholarship activities) in Houston, Texas from July 14 through 19, 2020 (scholarship finalists will receive convention assistance).

To apply:

Submit an application using the online application system at https://nfb.org/civicrm/scholarships/login; or
Download, complete, and email or mail in a hard copy application form by visiting: https://nfb.org/programs/scholarship-program.

State Scholarship Program:

Each year, the NFB of Maryland awards the John T. McCraw Scholarship to two students in the amounts of $2,000 and $1,500 each. NFBMD may award a third scholarship to a former McCraw scholarship recipient. Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement and community involvement. Application materials must be submitted (online or postmarked) by 11:59PM on April 15, 2020. To be eligible, applicants must:

Be legally blind in both eyes;
Be a legal resident of Maryland or be pursuing post-secondary studies at a school in Maryland;
Be pursuing or planning to pursue a full-time, post-secondary course of study in a degree program in the Fall of 2020; and
Attend the entire National Convention of the National Federation of the Blind in Houston, Texas from July 14 through 19, 2020 and the annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland in Towson, Maryland from November 6 – 8, 2020 (scholarship finalists will receive convention assistance).