Paul and Ellen Ruckes Scholarship

Award Amount
Application deadline
Awarded By:

American Foundation for the Blind

Number of Awards & Eligibility: Two awards offered annually.
In order to qualify, students must meet the following criteria:
  1. This award is for U.S. students.
  2. Must be a U.S. citizen.
  3. Must be an undergraduate or graduate student.
  4. Must be legally blind (i.e., have best corrected visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye, and/or a visual field of less than 20 degrees in the better eye).
  5. Must major in engineering, computer science, physical sciences, or life sciences.

In order to qualify, students must meet the following criteria:

Description: Undergraduate or graduate students who are legally blind are eligible for this award. Students must be majoring in engineering, computer science, physical sciences, or life sciences; and must enroll full time.

Application requirements for the Paul and Ellen Ruckes Scholarship are:

  • Essay
  • Recommendation letter
  • Application form
  • Official Transcript
  • Proof of blindness
Additional Information: Students will only be considered for the scholarships that they select on the application. The Scholarship Committee will review only those applications that are complete with supporting documents and meet all scholarship requirements.

Award Amount: $2,000 annually, non-renewable.  The total dollars awarded for this scholarship is $2,000.

Deadline Information:

Deadline for this scholarship is Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Deadline Information:

Deadline for this scholarship is Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Applications are available from the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) website. In addition to the completed online application, each applicant must submit the following: three essays of at least 200 words each on the topics listed on the application (must be copied and pasted into the online application); an official transcript from the school he/she currently attends or most recently attended; two letters of recommendation; and a signed letter from an optometrist, ophthalmologist, or state or private agency for the blind certifying that he/she is legally blind. Supporting documents are to be collected and mailed in one envelope to the AFB Scholarship Committee at the address provided. Incomplete scholarship packets will not be considered. Applications and supporting materials must be received by the deadline date.
About American Foundation for the Blind:
Contact Information: Attn: Tara Annis, American Foundation for the Blind
Address: 1000 Fifth Ave. Suite 350 Huntington, West Virginia 25701

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