Expansion of Program to Reach Additional Students
Following the scholarship’s launch in 2021, The Vision Council announced in 2022 that it is expanding the Opening Your Eyes: The Vision Council Scholarship Fund to additional institutions within the National Federation of Opticianry Schools (NFOS). In an effort to reach more potential applicants in more communities across the United States, The Vision Council will continue expanding the program to additional NFOS schools in the coming months.
As of November 2022, partner schools include:
- Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology (MA)
- Broward College (FL)
- Camden County College (NJ)
- Cuyahoga Community College (OH)
- Daytona State College (FL)
- Durham Technical Community College (NC)
- Erie Community College (NY)
- Essex County College (NJ)
- Georgia Piedmont Community College (GA)
- Hillsborough Community College (FL)
- Miami Dade College (FL)
- Middlesex Community College (CT)
- New York City College of Technology (NY)
- Raritan Valley Community College (NJ)
- Reynolds Community College (VA)
- Wiregrass Georgia Technical College (GA)
Scholarship applications will be housed on each participating school’s website and scholarship recipients are selected through the participating school’s foundations. Eligible students must be interested in pursuing an associate degree in Ophthalmic Dispensing at a participating National Federation of Opticianry Schools member institution. Each scholarship includes $6,000 per year, as well as reimbursement of certification and state exam fees. Scholarships are renewable each year upon successful completion of all course work.
As additional scholarship recipients are selected, The Vision Council will maintain a strong relationship with the students and welcome them to the vision care community in a number of ways. Upon each student’s graduation, The Vision Council will provide additional support, including free registration and discounted continuing education at both Vision Expo East and West and complimentary National Academy of Opticianry (NAO) and Opticians Association of America (OAA) membership for the first year following graduation.