Each and every year for the last twenty-six years, the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) has awarded a total of six essay scholarships for disabled veterans out to spouses or children of blind veterans. These visually impaired scholarships are distributed through the Kathern F. Gruber Scholarship Program. Each of these six scholarships for blind are in the amount of $2,000. The BVA Scholarship Committee has the grueling task of choosing the six recipients. Applications for these disability scholarships must be received by April 13, 2009. These are not full essay scholarships. They are designed to be used to help students with their tuition, books and other academic fees.
The Blinded Veterans Association held its first meeting back in 1945. One hundred soldiers who were blinded during the war got together and formed an organization dedicated to assisting all veterans afflicted with blindness. In 1958 the BVA was charted by the United States Congress to lend their voice in support of blinded American Veterans. The BVA has worked tirelessly ever since in support of veterans with visual disabilities.
Kathern “Kay” Gruber was serving in the mid 1940’s as the American Foundation for the Blinds Director of Services for the War Blind when she first became interested in the BVA. Over several decades Kay would attend many of the BVA conventions. She was always there to offer her advice and counsel. In 1948 she was also a member of a very important advisory group that provided recommendations to the Veterans Administration in reference to the care of the war blinded. In San Diego in 1985 the BVA Scholarship Program became the Kathern Gruber Scholarship Program in honor of her many years of dedicated service to the association.
To be eligible for these visually impaired scholarships the applicant must be a dependent child or spouse of a blinded veteran of the United States Armed Forces. It is not required that the veteran be a member of the Blinded Veterans Association. However, the veteran must be legally blind. The blindness may have taken place during the service years or after the service years. In addition, for an applicant to be considered they must either have been accepted for admission, or already enrolled in post high school education. This can be in college, a university, a secretarial school, business school or any vocational training school.
The Kathern Gruber Scholarships are good for only one year. However, a student may reapply each year and receive the award up to four times. Applicants for these essay scholarships for the disabled do have to present educational transcripts, three letters of reference; and a 300-word essay on their goals and desires for the future. The six winners of these BVA blind scholarships are notified in July. Awards are paid directly to the educational facility of the applicant’s choice. For almost 65 years the Blinded Veterans Association has been offering assistance to the visually impaired veteran and their families. Applications for these Blinded Veterans Association BVA essay scholarships for disabled must be received by April 13 of each year.
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