[NFBOH-Cleveland] You can now apply for the 2023 Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund

[Suzanne Turner]

Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship

 

The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship provides funding support to
National Federation of the Blind members who want to attend a 

national convention

for the first time.

 

Eligibility

 

Active NFB members, blind or sighted, who have not yet attended an in-person
NFB National Convention because of lack of funding are eligible to apply.

 

How to Apply

 

Starting January 1, 2023, apply online using the 

Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship online application form.

https://nfb.org/form/kenneth-jernigan-convention-scho

 

The deadline to submit is April 15, 2023.

 

The application will ask for the following information:

 

list of 11 items

. Contact information: Include your full name and both your primary phone
where you can be contacted by your state president and your mobile phone you

might use at convention, if available.

. Please include your mailing address and, if you have one, your email
address. If you don't have an email address, please consider if there is a
friend

or chapter member who might be able to assist with email correspondence.

. State Affiliate/chapter information: Include your state affiliate, your
state president, chapter, and chapter president, if you attend a chapter.

. Mentor information: Include your personal convention mentor and provide
that person's phone number.

. Funding request: Include your specific request and explain how much money
you need from this fund to make this trip possible for you. We suggest you

consult with other members to make a rough budget for yourself.

. Essay questions to explain why this is a good investment for the NFB: 

. How do you currently participate in the Federation?

. Why do you want to attend a national convention?

. What would you receive?

. What can you share or give?

. Any special circumstances you hope the committee will take into
consideration.

list end

 

If you cannot apply online, you can still apply by writing a letter to your
state affiliate president answering the above questions. This letter should

be emailed to your state affiliate president. Once you have decided you will
apply, please contact your state president in person or by phone to request

his or her help in obtaining funding. Be sure to tell the state affiliate
president when to expect that your application will be submitted and mention

the deadline.

 

Once your online application has been submitted, your application will be
provided to your state president via email. It is still your responsibility
to

contact your affiliate president. He or she must email a president's
recommendation directly to the Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund
Committee

at 

kjscholarships at nfb.org.

Your president must email the recommendation no later than the deadline of
April 15, 2023. If you have applied outside of the online form, the state
affiliate

president must email both the recommendation and the application letter.

 

Notification of Award

 

If you are chosen to receive this scholarship, you will receive a letter
with convention details that should answer most of your questions. The
committee

makes every effort to notify winners by May 15, but you must do several
things before that to be prepared to attend if you are chosen:

 

list of 3 items

. Make your own hotel reservation. If something prevents you from attending,
you can cancel the reservation. (Yes, you may arrange for roommates of your

own to reduce the cost.)

. Register online for the entire convention, including the banquet, by May
31.

. Find someone in your chapter or affiliate who has been to many conventions
and can answer your questions as a friend and mentor.

list end

 

If you do not hear from the committee by May 15, then you did not win a
scholarship this year.

 

Receiving the Award

 

At the convention you will be given a debit card or credit card loaded with
the amount of your award. The times and locations to pick up your card will

be listed in the letter we send you. The committee is not able to provide
funds before the convention, so work with your chapter and state affiliate
to

assist you by obtaining an agreement to advance funds if you win a
scholarship, and to pay your treasury back after you receive your debit or
credit card.

 

Award Details

 

The three biggest ticket items you need to cover when attending an NFB
National Convention are the round-trip transportation, the hotel room for a
week,

and the food (which tends to be higher priced than at home). We attempt to
award additional funds to families, but, whether a family or an individual
is

granted a scholarship, this fund can only help; it won't pay all the costs.
Most years the grants have been $600 per individual. 

 

We recommend that you find an NFB member as your personal convention mentor,
someone who has been to many national conventions and is able to share
money-saving

tips with you and tips on navigating the extensive agenda in the big hotel.
Your mentor will help you get the most out of the amazing experience that is

convention week.

 

More Information

 

For additional information, please contact the chairman of the Kenneth
Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund Committee, Tracy Soforenko, at 

kjscholarships at nfb.org

 or 410-659-9314, extension 2020.

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