Updated as of October 8, 2024.
Join us as we explore scholarships for individuals who are blind or who have low vision. Most deadlines are in February and March. Don’t delay; and set some calendar alerts and apply as soon as the applications open!
Importance for All Students
While most of these scholarships are available to high school seniors planning to attend college full-time in the fall, it’s still worthwhile for other students to check these out.
For high school juniors, sophomores, and freshmen, it can be very valuable to know what to expect in terms of scholarships. Senior year is busy and overwhelming, Wouldn’t it be nice to have months to plan writing essays and asking for reference letters? Well, here’s your chance!
For those already in college, some of these scholarships offer funds to current college students. In other cases, funders of some of the scholarships listed have additional scholarships for current undergraduate and graduate students. Scholarship money is money, and it’s never too late to apply for some!
Impact on Financial Support from Maryland DORS (Division of Rehabilitation Services)
Blind/low vision students in Maryland may qualify for services and support from the Maryland vocational rehabilitation agency, the Office for Blindness & Vision Services (OBVS) in the Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS). This support can include financial resources to pay for post-secondary education, like college. Need-based scholarships and grants will reduce the level of DORS support, but federal regulations specifically exclude merit-based scholarships from being used to reduce DORS’ financial support.
Find out more in our Bridges Resource Library Maryland’s Division of Rehabilitation Services and Office of Blindness & Vision Services entry.
Scholarships For Maryland Students
John T. McCraw Scholarship Program (National Federation of the Blind of Maryland)
Typically, the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland’s John T. McCraw Scholarship Program offers up to four merit-based awards of $4,000 each. Scholarship winners also receive financial assistance to attend the annual Convention of the National Federation of the Blind in its entirety and to attend the annual Convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland.
Deadline: Typically, late March of the scholarship year
Find out more in our Bridges Resource Library John T. McCraw Scholarship Program (NFB of Maryland) entry.
National Scholarship Opportunities
National Federation of the Blind (NFB) Annual Scholarship Program
Typically, offers thirty (30) scholarships for students 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 the year of application (one scholarship may be given to a person employed full-time while attending school part-time)., each worth $8,000, are available. Scholarships are merit-based; based on academic excellence, community service, and leadership. Additionally, each winner receives financial assistance to attend the Annual Convention of the National Federation of the Blind in its entirety.
Deadline: Typically, late March of the scholarship year
Jim Halladay HumanWare/NFB Scholarship
Typically, an additional four scholarships are available; each comes with an award of $1,000 and a Brailliant BI40 braille display. Same eligibility, application, and deadline requirements as the NFB Scholarship above.
Deadline: Typically, late March of the scholarship year
Find out more in our Bridges Resource Library National Federation of the Blind (NFB) Annual Scholarship Program entry.
American Council of the Blind’s (ACB) Scholarship Program (includes scholarships sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind—AFB)
The American Council of the Blind’s (ACB) Scholarship Program offers twenty-one (21) scholarships for entering freshman, undergraduate and graduate students, and those attending technical college valued between $2,000 and $7,500. Additionally, scholarships sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) are included in the ACB Scholarship Program.
Deadline: Typically, early February of the scholarship year
Find out more in our Bridges Resource Library American Council of the Blind’s (ACB) Scholarship Program entry.
Fred Scheigert Scholarship Program
Typically, the Fred Scheigert Scholarship Program awards four (4) students an individual prize of $3,000. This competitive scholarship is available to full-time college students with low vision, chosen from among those who meet the visual acuity and academic guidelines.
Deadline: Typically, early March of the scholarship year
Find out more in our Bridges Resource Library Fred Scheigert Scholarship Program entry.
Anne Lowe Scholarship
Typically, the Anne Lowe Scholarship has awarded scholarships of $2,000. While applications for the Anne Lowe Scholarship have not yet opened, its web page notes, “If you are interested in applying next year, please watch for the application in January 2025.”
Deadline: Typically, mid-April of the scholarship year
Find out more in our Bridges Resource Library Anne Lowe Scholarship entry.
Lighthouse Guild Scholarships
Lighthouse Guild College Bound Scholarship
Typically, the Lighthouse Guild offers up to 20 College Bound Scholarship awards per year. Sign up to receive notifications about the Lighthouse Guild College Bound Scholarship Application web page.
Deadline: Typically, late March of the scholarship year
Lighthouse Guild Dr. Neil S. Patel Memorial Scholarship
Find out more on the Lighthouse Guild Dr. Neil S. Patel Memorial Scholarship web page.
Deadline: Typically, late March of the scholarship year
Find out more in our Bridges Resource Library Lighthouse Guild Scholarships entry.
Lavelle – Brother Kearney Scholarship Program
The Lavelle – Brother Kearney Scholarship Program offers scholarships based, in part, on demonstrated financial need. Additionally, chosen scholars receive mentoring support, networking opportunities, and job readiness services, career-related internships, and assistance with seeking post-college jobs. No deadline is stated on the website.
Find out more in our Bridges Resource Library Lavelle – Brother Kearney Scholarship Program entry.
Microsoft Disability Scholarship
Typically, the Microsoft Disability Scholarship is open. It offers awards of $5,000 per year for up to four years (total of up to $20,000) for eligible students who demonstrate financial need.
Deadline: Typically, early March of the scholarship year
Find out more in our Bridges Resource Library Microsoft Disability Scholarship entry.
Wells Fargo Scholarship Program for People with Disabilities
The Wells Fargo Scholarship Program for People with Disabilities is not yet open. Sign up here to be notified when the Wells Fargo scholarship application opens.
Team See Scholarships
Team See Scholarships (for blind vocational/trade school students and college/graduate students) are not open. The number and amount of each scholarship is uncertain (“we hope to give 20 scholarships at $5,000 each.”).
Deadline: Typically, April of the scholarship year
Contact the Bridges Helpdesk for More Information
Email: Helpdesk@imagemd.org
Text: Send to: (410) 357-1546
Voice mail: Call (410) 357-1546, leave a voice mail message, and we will return your call
This unique project is being coordinated through The IMAGE Center of Maryland, a center for independent living in Towson, and it is funded by a grant from the Maryland Department of Education Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services.