Charles and Melva T. Owen Memorial Scholarships Grant

Easily learn more about the Charles and Melva T. The next deadline for this grant is Wed, 31 Mar 2027.

Scholarship Program
Thanks to our generous partners, there are thirty $10,000 merit-based scholarships currently available. All scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic excellence, community service, and leadership. They then attend our national convention in July when the winners of each individual scholarship are selected.
First established by Charles Owen in loving memory of his blind wife, these two awards are now endowed to honor the memory of both. In founding these scholarships, Charles Owen wrote: "There shall be no limitation as to field of study, except that it shall be directed toward attaining financial independence.”

Eligibility

The following requirements apply to all applicants:Must be legally blind (PDF) in both eyes.Must be residing in the United States, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico.Must be 18 years of age by July 3, 2026.Must be pursuing or planning to pursue a full-time, post-secondary course of study in a degree program at a United States institution in the fall of the year of application. The National Federation of the Blind may award up to five scholarships annually to applicants enrolled part-time who meet all other eligibility requirements.We recognize that employment, family caregiving, and ongoing medical care, concurrent with post-secondary enrollment, can contribute to a need for students to carry a part-time course load. Our application has been revised in order to provide an opportunity for students who will be enrolled part-time in the fall to share additional information with the committee.Must participate in person in the entire NFB National Convention and in all of its scheduled scholarship program activities (finalists will receive assistance to attend the national convention).You do not need to be an NFB member to win.All thirty scholarships are awarded based on academic excellence, community service, and leadership. It is not necessary to demonstrate financial need, and financial status is not considered when the scholarship committee makes its decisions.If you have applied in a previous year, you are welcome to apply again as long as you meet the eligibility requirements.You do not need to be a United States citizen to apply.If you live and attend school in the fifty states, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico, and intend to remain in the United States after graduation, you may apply.

Ineligibility

If you are legally blind in only one eye, you do not qualify for this scholarship program.Our national scholarships are restricted to blind persons who live and attend school where we have an affiliate of our organization, which includes all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. If your home is anywhere else, you are not eligible.A certification program for a profession or trade does not qualify as a university degree program, and as a result, students pursuing these kinds of credentials are not eligible for this scholarship program.