National Federation of the Blind of Missouri
2016 Scholarship Program

The National Federation of the Blind of Missouri announces our 2016 Scholarship Program. We will be accepting applications from November 1, 2015 to February 1, 2016. We invite all qualified candidates to apply. Applicants must be legally blind and plan to enroll in a post-secondary school for the fall of 2016. Applicants should live in Missouri but need not be a member of the National Federation of the Blind. Scholarships begin at $500 and are based on merit. We recommend all materials be submitted via email no later than February 1st, 2016. An application can be downloaded from our webpage at www.nfbmo.org or obtained through email when requested. Acknowledgment of applications and documents will be sent upon receipt. So if you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the Scholarship Chair. 

A complete application consists of the official application form and a student essay, plus these supporting documents: student transcripts, two letters of recommendation, a letter from an NFB of Missouri Scholarship Committee member, and proof of legal blindness from a physician, agency serving the blind, or school. 
 
In an effective essay the applicant may consider sharing about his or her life in a way that gives the committee insight into him or her. The essay should cover the ways in which one lives successfully as a blind person and describe personal goals for the future. Committee members give the essay a great deal of attention.

In addition to receiving the monetary award, the scholarship recipients will attend the convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri, April1-3, 2016, at the Doubletree Hotel in Springfield, MO. Hotel accommodations, convention registration, and planned meals during the convention will be included. We are also happy to help coordinate transportation to ensure this is not a barrier to our scholarship applicants. The type of transportation assistance may vary based on what part of the state the winner will be coming from and the available transportation resources in that community. 

Throughout the convention, scholarship winners will have an opportunity to learn about the National Federation of the Blind and network with successful blind people. In addition, final interviews with the Scholarship Committee will aid the committee in determining which scholarship each winner will receive.

You should know that merit scholarships from the National Federation of the Blind go directly to the winner and should not be considered as a similar benefit by Rehabilitation Services for the Blind. Therefore, students can use funds to meet expenses not already covered by other funding sources. Also, merit scholarships are viewed quite favorably when included in a resume.

The 2016 scholarship form has been developed to increase accessibility when using technology. It can be obtained as an e-file through leaders of the NFB of Missouri, educators, or rehabilitation professionals.   It can also be downloaded from the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri’s webpage shown below. If you have any questions about our scholarship program, please contact:
Julie McGinnity
National Federation of the Blind of Missouri
1626 University Ave.
Apt B1
Columbia, Mo 65201
Phone: (314)610-7740
Email: NFBMO.SCHOLARSHIPS@GMAIL.COM
Web Page: www.nfbmo.org