This annually presented award is to promote higher education for Summit County’s visually challenged students. Our scholarship fund began with donations from the members of the Akron Blind Center when they realized how hard our community’s visually challenged students were striving toward an accomplished future.

With this program in mind, we would be grateful for any contribution to this unique and invaluable opportunity. Please, help the Akron Blind Center in the realization of dreams for the visually challenged students in our area.

To request an application, or have one sent to you, fill out the “contact form” on this site. We can e-mail or send the necessary forms in the mail. You can also copy and print the following application and bring it to us during business hours or mail it.

Thank You for Your Consideration.

The Akron Blind Center
Scholarship Committee

YOUR DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE TO THE FULLEST EXTENT POSSIBLE. Our EIN Federal tax ID number is 34-0742708.

THE AKRON BLIND CENTER & WORKSHOP, INC.
SCHOLARSHIP AWARD PROGRAM

STUDENT APPLICATION

NAME: __________________________________________________________________

HOME ADDRESS:__________________________________________________________

PHONE:_______________EMAIL: _______________________ BIRTH DATE________

I PLAN TO ATTEND:_______________________________________________________
College or University
______________________________________ TO BEGIN__________________________
CITY AND STATE MONTH AND YEAR
OR: I CURRENTLY ATTEND THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON ___ OR
STARK STATE COLLEGE ___

GRADE POINT AVERAGE: __________ACT/SAT SCORES________________________

FAMILY STATUS: (SINGLE/MARRIED)_______________________________________

IS ANYONE DEPENDENT ON YOU FOR SUPPORT? _______YES ______ NO

NUMBER OF CHILDREN LIVING AT HOME:_____THEIR AGES ARE?______________

PARENTS: LIVING______DIVORCED_____DECEASED (FATHER)____MOTHER____

FATHER’S EMPLOYMENT:___________________________________________________

MOTHER’S EMPLOYMENT:___________________________________________________

ARE ANY OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS ATTENDING COLLEGE? YES_____ NO_____

HOW MANY?______________ YEAR OF GRADUATION:___________________________

** PLEASE ATTACH A CERTIFICATE OF BLINDNESS SIGNED BY A PHYSICIAN.

LIST ANY EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES____________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

WORK EXPERIENCE:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

BRIEFLY DESCRIBE ANY SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES THAT THE COMMITTEE
SHOULD BE AWARE OF IN ORDER TO HELP THEIR SELECTIONS:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

HOW WILL FINANCIAL AID HELP YOU?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

PLEASE ATTACH A TYPED ESSAY (250-500 WORDS) ADDRESSING THE FOLLOWING:
1. YOUR CAREER OBJECTIVES, FUTURE PLANS, PERSONAL GOALS,
2. AND ANY PERSONAL QUALITIES THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH
THE SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE.
3. WHY YOU BELIEVE YOU ARE QUALIFIED TO RECEIVE THIS SCHOLARSHIP.

LIST THE NAMES, ADDRESSES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS OF THREE PERSONS
TO WHOM YOU WILL SEND REQUESTS FOR REFERENCES. THESE SHOULD
NOT BE FAMILY MEMBERS. (PLEASE INCLUDE THE LETTERS WITH YOUR
APPLICATION.)
1. ___________________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________________

THE APPLICANT’S SIGNATURE BELOW GRANTS THE AKRON BLIND CENTER PERMISSION
TO VERIFY ANY OR ALL INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE APPLICANT.

SEVERAL FINAL CANDIDATES FOR THIS AWARD MAY BE SELECTED BASED ON
THE ABOVE CRITERIA. THE FINALISTS MAY BE CONTACTED TO ARRANGE AN
INTERVIEW TIME WITH THE SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE.

*LEGAL BLINDNESS IS DEFINED AS VISUAL ACUITY (VISION) OF 20/200 (6/60) OR
LESS IN THE BETTER EYE WITH BEST CORRECTION POSSIBLE. THIS MEANS
THAT A LEGALLY BLIND INDIVIDUAL WOULD HAVE TO STAND 20 FEET (6.1 M)
FROM AN OBJECT TO SEE IT – WITH CORRECTIVE LENSES – WITH THE SAME
DEGREE OF CLARITY AS A NORMALLY SIGHTED PERSON COULD FROM
200 FEET (61 M). IN MANY AREAS, PEOPLE WITH AVERAGE ACUITY WHO
NONETHELESS HAVE A VISUAL FIELD OF LESS THAN 20 DEGREES (THE NORM
BEING 180 DEGREES) ARE ALSO CLASSIFIED AS BEING LEGALLY BLIND.

BLINDNESS IS THE CONDITION OF LACKING VISUAL PERCEPTION DUE TO
PHYSIOLOGICAL OR NEUROLOGICAL FACTORS. TOTAL BLINDNESS IS THE
COMPLETE LACK OF FORM AND VISUAL LIGHT PERCEPTION AND IS CLINICALLY
RECORDED AS NLP, “NO LIGHT PERCEPTION”.

AKRON BLIND CENTER SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE REGULATIONS

Revised 2022

I. GENERAL INFORMATION
Each year, the Akron Blind Center awards the Phyllis Cottle Memorial Scholarship
to an eligible high school senior or college student who resides in Summit County
or who is attending a two- or four-year accredited institution in Summit County.
The amount of the scholarship will vary from year to year. Recipients will be provided
the scholarship amount via check in one lump sum.
II. ELIGIBILITY
All applicants must meet the following requirements:
• Be a resident of Summit County, a graduating senior at a high school in Summit County
who will attend an accredited two-year or four-year accredited institution of higher
education, or a non-resident attending an eligible institution of higher education in
Summit County.
• Be enrolled in or accepted to an accredited two-year or four-year institution of
higher education.
• Be legally blind. Legal blindness is defined as a visual acuity (vision) of 20/200 (6/60)
or less in the better eye with the best correction possible. This means that a legally blind
individual would have to stand 20 feet (6.1 meters)E from an object to see it – with
corrective lenses – with the same degree of clarity as a normally sighted person could
from 200 feet (61 meters). People with average acuity who nonetheless have a visual
field of less than 20 degrees (the norm being 180 degrees) are also classified as being
legally blind. A physician’s certificate certifying that the applicant meets one of these
criteria must be submitted with the application.
• Complete the application as determined by the Scholarship Committee.
III. APPLICATION PROCESS
The Akron Blind Center shall make the criteria and application for the scholarship
available on its website and at the Center. The Akron Blind Center shall provide
an application to anyone who requests one. Any application that is submitted
incomplete will be rejected.
Applications are due by August 1 of the year in which the scholarship will be awarded.
The winner of the scholarship will be announced at the Board of Directors’ meeting in
August.
Applications include requests for information about the applicant and his/her plans
for enrollment/continued enrollment in a two-year or four-year accredited institution
of higher learning. The application also will request transcripts, letters of recom-
mendation, and physician’s certification of legal blindness.
The Scholarship Committee shall review all complete applications. The Scholarship
Committee shall deliberate and choose the successful applicant. The decision of the
Scholarship Committee as to the successful applicant is final.
IV. REPAYMENT OBLIGATION AND OBLIGATION TO ATTEND WHITE
CANE EXPERIENCE
All scholarship recipients shall be required to execute an Agreement whereby the
recipient agrees that the scholarship funds are to be used only for educational
expenses, such as tuition, fees, or books. The recipient shall also agree that, should
he/she withdraw from the institution of higher education, or otherwise become
ineligible, or if he/she uses the scholarship funds for expenses other than educational
expenses, he/she shall repay the scholarship amount in full.
The recipient of the scholarship shall be required to attend the Akron Blind Center’s
White Cane Experience, typically held on the first Saturday in October, but which date may
vary, in order to receive the scholarship check and be acknowledged by the Board,
volunteers, and attendants at the Walk.

_____________________________________ _____________________________________
SIGNATURE OF APPLICANT SIGNATURE OF PARENT OR GUARDIAN

DATED: ______________________

Return your applications by the August 1, 2018 deadline to:

SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE
THE AKRON BLIND CENTER
PO Box 1864
AKRON OHIO 44309

Thank you for your attention in advance. We hope to receive several
applications from qualified applicants.