Dear Applicant,

Again in 2007, the Washington Council of the Blind plans to award scholarships to blind college or voc-tech school students in the State of Washington. The minimum scholarship amount to be awarded will be $2,000.

Eligibility requirements include:

1. The applicant must be legally blind. (Please note: Legal blindness is defined as an individual who has a visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the corrected eye and/or 20 degrees or less visual field in the corrected eye. Individuals who are legally blind in BOTH eyes are eligible to receive a scholarship.)
2. The applicant must be enrolled or planning to enroll in an accredited Washington State vocational school, college or university, or one located in the United States Pacific Northwest; a college or university with a branch campus in Washington State; or a Distance Learning Program. (The United States Pacific Northwest, as defined here, includes the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, and Montana.)
3. The applicant must be a resident of Washington State. (A resident of Washington State is defined as an individual who has physically been residing in the State for a period of twelve (12) consecutive months at the time of application.)

First consideration will be given to those applicants who have not previously received a WCB scholarship, however, all legally blind persons admitted to academic and vocational training programs for the 2006-2007 school year are encouraged to apply. Before receiving a scholarship, recipients must provide proof of registration for the Fall Quarter.

For your general information, the Washington Council of the Blind is the oldest, largest and most active organization of the blind in Washington, with chapters throughout the state. Originally formed in 1935 as the Washington State Association of the Blind, we have operated continuously since that time. We work for the general well being of all blind people in the state. Our policy is that membership, or non-membership, in any organization of or for the blind will not be considered in awarding these scholarships.

Enclosed with this letter is a scholarship application. All applications MUST be typewritten or completed online. The online form can be found at http://www.wcbinfo.org/ Handwritten applications WILL NOT BE accepted. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply on line, if you need technical assistance please call the WCB Scholarship Committee Chairman. No application will be considered unless all blanks and requirements are completed. If not applicable, insert "NA" in each blank that does not apply to you. Please be sure your name is on all supplemental pages. Each application will be considered by a committee made up of members of the Washington Council of the Blind. APPLICATIONS MUST BE POSTMARKED no later than June 30, 2007, and applicants are responsible for submitting complete application packets. Materials may be submitted on line or in hard copy, but patrons are encouraged to make their submissions on line when ever possible. When submitting supporting documents on line, please send them as e-mail directly rather than using attachments. Indicate on the subject line what supporting document you are sending, e.g. John Jones, personal essay. If you need additional copies of this form, feel free to duplicate it or write to the address given below. If you would like to receive this application in Braille or on disk, please contact Alan Bentson at the number and/or address below. However, only the typewritten or ONLINE versions of applications will be accepted.

Scholarships will be presented at the annual Fall WCB Convention Banquet to be held on Saturday, November 3, in Spokane Washington. Recipients must attend the banquet to receive their awards.

Recipients will be our guests at the Annual Fall Convention Banquet to be recognized and to meet WCB members from around the state. Some convention expenses may be provided.

Between August 1st and 15th, 2007, each applicant will be interviewed by telephone. This interview will be recorded and used in the evaluation process. Interview time is approximately 10-15 minutes. All applicants will be advised of the results by September 15, 2007.

If you have any questions, concerns or comments, please write or call:

     Alan Bentson, WCB Scholarship Committee Chair
     3801 NE 77th St.Apt. A#203  
     Seattle, WA  98115 
     (206) 819-9283
     Email: arbentson@comcast.com

Please type. Handwritten applications WILL NOT BE accepted.

DEADLINE: June 30, 2007

Mail completed application to:

Alan Bentson, WCB Scholarship Committee Chair
3801 NE 77th St.Apt. a#203
Seattle, WA 98115
(206) 819-9283
arbentson@comcast.net

This application may also be completed online. Please be sure to read through the application completely before beginning to fill it out. This will help to avoid confusion and minimize the chance of making errors. Click here for the application.