American Council of the Blind Scholarship

The American Council of the Blind Scholarship Program was established in 1982. The American Council of the Blind (ACB) and the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) have now partnered together to offer educational scholarships ranging from $2,000 to $7,500 for those attending a technical college or as an entering freshman, undergraduate or a graduate student.

American Council of the Blind Scholarship awards students with scholarships to help with post-secondary education financial needs such as tuition, fees, room and board and other additional costs associated with adaptive technology.

To be eligible for the American Council of the Blind Scholarship, applicants need to be legally blind.

Also read: Scholarships for Students with Disabilities

Eligibility Requirements for American Council of the Blind Scholarship

• 3.0 Minimum GPA
• Must be an undergraduate student, a graduate student or a postgraduate student
• Must attend a university, a four-year college, two-year college or a vocational-tech school
• Restricted to applicants that have visual disabilities
• Learning Disabled
• Both full-time and part-time students
• Award is available to U.S. citizens

Requirements for American Council of the Blind Scholarship

• Application Form
• Recommendations Or References
• Transcript
• Other – Certification of legal blindness from an ophthalmologist, optometrist or physician

All interested candidates for American Council of the Blind Scholarship must register for a new ACB account prior to submitting a scholarship application online. Visit www.acb.org/scholarships to start the registration process

You will need to include the following documents with your completed application:

1. Certification of legal blindness from an ophthalmologist, optometrist or physician. Legal blindness is defined as an individual who cannot see better than 20/200 in the best eye with glasses or contact lenses or whose visual field in the best eye is 20 degrees or less at the widest diameter with glasses or contact lenses.
2. A transcript(s) from the school you are currently attending. Entering freshmen will need to include their high school transcripts and graduate students will need to include undergraduate transcripts. Unless extenuating circumstances exist, a 3.0 cumulative grade point average is required.
3. Two letters of recommendation from a current or recent instructor, career counselor or employer.  Please submit each letter of recommendation separately.
4. Proof of acceptance from a post-secondary school. Entering and transferring students must submit a notice or letter from the admissions office certifying acceptance or consideration for admission. If this is not available when the application is submitted, it must be submitted as soon as it is available. Students continuing at the same school attended during 2022 will not need to submit this All interested candidates must register for an ACB account prior to submitting a scholarship application online. Once you have created an account with ACB, please login and then you can access the scholarship application from the link at the top of the site. Visit this link to create an account or login.

American Council of the Blind Scholarship winners will experience firsthand ACB’s National Conference and Convention in July, where you will meet other students who share the same life experiences, create lasting friendships and network with individuals who understand what you are going through and can help you with your journey. There are also many sessions where you can learn about new technology and what is happening in our community.

For more information, please contact the American Council of the Blind Scholarship Office at (612) 332-3242 or (800) 866-3242 or send an email to scholarships@acb.org. We look forward to receiving your application materials.

recommended for you: 47 Scholarships for Hearing Impaired Students

American Council of the Blind Scholarship Awards

To maximize the financial impact, scholarship awardees may receive a combined AFB and ACB award.

Baystate Council of the Blind – ACB 
Massachusettes resident who is a full-time or part-time student (minimum of 2 classes per term)

Duane Buckley – ACB 
Undergraduate who has overcome major difficulties

Kellie Cannon – ACB 
Studying in the field of computer science, data processing, programming, web development, etc.

William H. Corey – ACB 
Pennsylvania resident

Charles Dillman – AFB (4 scholarships)
Studying in the field of disability rehabilitation or teaching

Rudolph Dillman – AFB (4 scholarships)
Studying in the field of disability rehabilitation or teaching

Eunice Fiorito – ACB 
Studying in advocacy or disability services

R.I. Gillette, Gladys C. Anderson and Karen D. Carsel Memorial – AFB 
For an undergraduate woman studying music

John Hebner – ACB 
Must be working full time and enrolled in substantial courses

James R. Olsen Memorial – ACB 
Undergraduate studying business, computer science, or information technology and involved in community service.

ACB Oregon – ACB 
Oregon resident

Ross N. Pangere Foundation – ACB (3 scholarships)
Studying in the field of business, computer science or information technology

Floyd Qualls Memorial – ACB (5 Scholarships)
General studies

Paul and Ellen Ruckes – AFB (2 Scholarships)
Studying physical or computer sciences or engineering.

Norma Schecter – ACB 
General studies

Arnold Sadler – ACB 
Studying in the field of disability rehabilitation, education, law & etc.

Tech For All (TFA) – ACB
Majoring in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) program
To learn more about Tech For All, visit: www.tfaconsulting.com.