NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND

OF GREATER SPRINGFIELD

ESTHER BARBARINI SCHOLARSHIP

 

 The National Federation of the Blind of Greater Springfield is pleased to be continuing its scholarship program.  NFB of Greater Springfield is a membership organization of blind people and an affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind.  NFB of Greater Springfield is dedicated to promoting the full social, economic, cultural, and intellectual integration of all blind people into the life of Massachusetts and the nation on a basis of equality and partnership with sighted people.  Its scholarship program is just one of the ways in which it translates this dedication into accomplishment.

 

THE SCHOLARSHIP. The scholarship will be awarded on the basis of academic excellence, community service, and financial need.  It will be awarded in the amount of five hundred dollars to a blind student pursuing or planning to pursue a post-secondary education.  There will be no restriction as to field of study or type of degree earned.

 

ELIGIBILITY. Scholarship applicants must be legally blind.  They must be residents of western Massachusetts or planning to pursue their education in Massachusetts.  (Western Massachusetts residents, however, need not attend a post-secondary educational institution within the Commonwealth.)  Applicants must have applied or be applying to post-secondary institutions of higher education on a full or part-time basis.  Finally, all applicants must provide all applicable information on this form, as well as all applicable documents requested. Scholarship applicants need not be members of the National Federation of the Blind of Greater Springfield or the National Federation of the Blind.

 

CONVENTION ATTENDANCE.   The scholarship will be awarded at the Saturday evening banquet.  The scholarship finalist must attend the entire convention weekend from 5:00 p.m. Friday evening to its adjournment Sunday at noon.  Any finalist unable to meet this requirement will no longer be eligible for the scholarship.  This year's convention is scheduled for April 23rd through 25th 2010.  Family members and friends of finalists are welcome to attend the convention, but separate reservations must be made.  Scholarship finalists will share accommodations with other finalists or program alumni.  The convention will take place at The Crowne Plaza Hotel 10 Lincoln Square Worcester, Massachusetts.

 

APPLICATION DEADLINE.   Scholarship applications must be received no later than March 1, 2010.  Applications received after this date will not be considered.

 

DECISION.   The scholarship committee of NFB of Greater Springfield will meet in March and will carefully review all applications received by the above deadline.  The committee will make its decision in time to notify the scholarship winner on or before March 15, 2010 so that he or she will have sufficient time to arrange to attend the NFB of Massachusetts convention.  Accommodations at the convention will be part of the scholarship award.

 

Download or Print the Local Scholarship form below:

 Local Scholarship Form

 

 Other scholarships are also available at www.nfbmass.org or www.nfb.org