The scholarship provides funding support to NFB members who want to attend a national convention for the first time.
How to Apply
The scholarship application is now closed.
Notification of Award
If you are chosen to receive this scholarship, you will receive a letter with convention details that should answer most of your questions. The committee makes every effort to notify winners by May 15, but you must do several things before that to be prepared to attend if you are chosen:
- Make your own hotel reservation. If something prevents you from attending, you can cancel the reservation. (Yes, you may arrange for roommates of your own to reduce the cost.)
- Register online for the entire convention, including the banquet, by May 31.
- Find someone in your chapter or affiliate who has been to many conventions and can answer your questions as a friend and mentor.
If you do not hear from the committee by May 15, then you did not win a scholarship this year.
Receiving the Award
At the convention you will be given a debit card or credit card loaded with the amount of your award. The times and locations to pick up your card will be listed in the letter we send you. The committee is not able to provide funds before the convention, so work with your chapter and state affiliate to assist you by obtaining an agreement to advance funds if you win a scholarship, and to pay your treasury back after you receive your debit or credit card.
Award Details
The three biggest ticket items you need to cover when attending an NFB National Convention are the round-trip transportation, the hotel room for a week, and the food (which tends to be higher priced than at home). We attempt to award additional funds to families, but, whether a family or an individual is granted a scholarship, this fund can only help; it won’t pay all the costs. Most years the grants have been $600 per individual.
We recommend that you find an NFB member as your personal convention mentor, someone who has been to many national conventions and is able to share money-saving tips with you and tips on navigating the extensive agenda in the big hotel. Your mentor will help you get the most out of the amazing experience that is convention week.
More Information
For additional information, please contact the chairman of the Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund Committee, Tracy Soforenko, at kjscholarships@nfb.org or 410-659-9314, extension 2020.