Scholarships

AER is now accepting scholarship applications!  In this biennial year, we have two scholarships that are currently enrolled in a higher education program. Please read the brief descriptions below, then click on the link for each application to download and proceed.

William and Dorothy Ferrell Scholarship

The William and Dorothy Ferrell Scholarship is awarded every other year in even years to two selected applicants who are legally blind and are studying for a career in the field of services to persons who are blind or visually impaired. The two scholarship recipients will be awarded $1,000 each, and the winners will be announced in the late Spring 2024.

Please click here to learn more and to access the William and Dorothy Ferrell Scholarship application.

2024 AER Scholarship

The 2024 AER Scholarship is awarded annually to three selected grad student applicants studying for a career in the field of Orientation & Mobility or Teachers of the Visually Impaired. The three $2,000 scholarship winners will be announced in the late Spring 2024.

Please click here to learn more and to access the 2024 AER Scholarship application.

The deadline to submit both applications is April 15, 2024. Please address questions to [email protected].

 

2023 AER Scholarship

Congratulations to the winners of the 2023 AER Scholarship!

Image of Mary Clare CableMary-Clare Cable, Portland State University
Mary-Clare Cable is currently working as an Itinerant Paraprofessional for the BVI department at the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District in Fairbanks, Alaska. She is currently attending Portland State University for her Masters in the Visually Impaired Learners Program and was inspired to pursue a career in teaching the Visually Impaired after working with a high school student who was blind. She is the recipient of the IDEALS scholarship as well as the AER scholarship to continue furthering her education in her field. In her free time, she enjoys bouldering, coffee and reading. 

Image of Caroline KarbowskiCaroline Karbowski, The Ohio State University
Caroline Karbowski is a pursuing a Masters in Sensory Impairments & Inclusion with certification in Orientation & Mobility at The Ohio State University. After seeing how 3D printing could be used to make science images tactile, she became inspired to create See3D, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit which organizes the printing and distribution of 3D printed models for people who are blind or have low vision. She is also the Chief Community Officer of A Cubed Design, a startup that is developing a low-cost and customizable braille display. In 2023 she received certification in literary braille transcribing.

Image of Jasmine LowJasmine Low, Vanderbilt University
Jasmine Low is a research assistant and Master’s student at Vanderbilt studying visual disabilities, including deafblindness. She started in education as a Montessori guide in an inclusive classroom near Nashville where she supported students in developing independence as young students. Now, she finds a particular joy in early braille literacy as it strengthens the love of reading incidentally. After graduation, she plans to continue research in deafblindness, early childhood education, and visual impairments while integrating best practices with direct service as a TVI.

 

These three students are very deserving of the $2,000 scholarship.

 AER William and Dorothy Ferrell Scholarship

AER proudly offers educational scholarships for individuals continuing their education in the field of providing services to the blind and visually impaired. The William and Dorothy Ferrell Scholarship is awarded every other year in even years to two selected applicants who are legally blind and are studying for a career in the field of services to persons who are blind or visually impaired. We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2022 AER William and Dorothy Ferrell Scholarship:

Teresa Fabre Lopez, Northern Illinois University

Katelyn Kelel, Seattle University 

AER will be issuing the next William and Dorothy Ferrell Scholarship in 2024. The application will be posted in the Spring of 2024.