Announcing the Scott C LaBarre Memorial Scholarship Program for Colorado blind and low-vision post-secondary students
2025 Scholarship Program
Building Opportunities for the Blind in Education and Beyond
*Award *Encourage *Achieve
This year the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado will be awarding up to $10,000 in scholarship funds for deserving students.
New this year, we have decided to expand the eligibility to students attending an accredited technical educational program. Technical programs must be appropriately accredited and at least one year in duration. For questions on whether the program qualifies please reach out to the scholarship committee chairs (contact info below) for a determination.
If you are a legally blind student who is a resident of Colorado, please apply immediately!
If you are a teacher, counselor, family member, or friend of a legally blind student who is a resident of Colorado, please encourage them to apply now!
Each year at its state convention, the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado (NFBCO) gives a broad array of scholarships to recognize achievement by blind scholars. The National Federation of the Blind of Colorado is an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for all blind persons. Recipients of Federation scholarships need not be members of the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado nor the National Federation of the Blind.
All applicants for these scholarships must be:
- Legally blind (official documentation of blindness is required)
- A resident of Colorado
- Must be eighteen years of age by July 7, 2025
- Must be able to attend the NFB national convention and NFBCO State conventions in their entirety
- Pursuing or planning to attend a full-time post-secondary course of study in the fall semester of 2025, attending an accredited technical school full-time in the fall semester of 2025 or attending school part-time and working full-time
Students who have previously won an NFBCO scholarship are encouraged to Apply again.
All scholarships are awarded based on academic excellence, service to the community, and financial need.
Applications are due by Tuesday, April 15, 2025.
FINALISTS:
The Scholarship Committee reviews all applications and selects the scholarship Finalists. These Finalists will be notified of their selection by telephone no later than June 1, 2025. Scholarship Finalists will attend the 2025 National Federation of the Blind of Colorado’s annual state convention held October 30 - November 2, 2025. The 2025 state convention will take place in the Denver metro area. Finalists will be awarded their scholarships at the banquet ceremonies. Family members are encouraged to join us at the state convention banquet.
The National Federation of the Blind of Colorado state convention is the largest gathering of blind persons held in the state each year. You will be able to meet other blind students and exchange information and ideas. You will also be able to connect with blind people who are successfully functioning in your chosen profession or occupation. Federal and state officials, members of Congress, and the producers and distributors of new technology attend Federation conventions. Above all, a broad cross-section of the most active segment of the blind population of Colorado will be present to discuss common problems and plan for concerted action.
In addition, scholarship winners will be required to attend the 2025 NFB national convention which is scheduled to take place July 8-13 in New Orleans, LA. This expense-paid National Federation of the Blind convention education experience is in addition to the scholarship grant. Winners are required to participate in the entire convention and in the scheduled scholarship program activities. Although family members are welcome to join us and participate in convention activities (at their own expense), the scholarship winners will have an assigned roommate for the duration of the convention and will have daily assignments. It is our hope that the national convention will be a wonderful learning experience for our scholarship winners.
All decisions by the Scholarship Committee are final.
For additional information about the scholarship program or the NFBCO state convention, contact Cody Bair NFBCO Scholarship Committee Co-Chairperson, at 970-673-6998 or email him at codyjbair@yahoo.com or Maureen Nietfeld NFBCO scholarship committee chairperson at 215-353-7218 or email her at mnietfeld@cocenter.org.
AWARDS:
The day of the state convention banquet the Scholarship Committee meets to determine the scholarship amount to be awarded to each winner. The scholarship awards will be announced and presented at the banquet.
MAKING APPLICATION:
To apply for the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado scholarship, complete and return the application, attaching to the application all documents requested.
Mail completed applications to the attention of Cody Bair, Scholarship Committee Co-Chairperson, National Federation of the Blind of Colorado, 2233 W. Shepperd Avenue, Littleton, CO 80120, or email to NFBCO’s Administrative Assistant Lisa Bonderson at lbonderson@cocenter.org
Completed applications must be received by Tuesday, April 15, 2025.
Apply now for an NFB of Colorado State Scholarship!
Who Was Scott C. LaBarre?
Scott C. LaBarre, a passionate advocate and leader, passed away in December 2022 at the age of 54 after a battle with a rare blood cancer.
He was the longtime president of the National Association of Blind Lawyers and the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado.
Totally blind since middle school, Scott discovered the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) as a college freshman in 1986 through its national scholarship program. This connection ignited his commitment to the organized blind movement. He earned his law degree from the University of Minnesota and went on to achieve remarkable success as a lawyer, international treaty negotiator, civil rights leader, husband, and father.
Scott was deeply dedicated to supporting blind students, believing that the NFB’s national and state scholarship programs were crucial to opening doors of opportunity for blind and low-vision Americans. After moving to Colorado in the early 1990s to begin his law practice, he worked tirelessly to expand academic opportunities for blind individuals across the western United States.
To honor Scott’s legacy and enduring contributions, the Board of Directors of the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado has renamed its scholarship program the Scott C. LaBarre Memorial Scholarship.
We encourage you to learn more about Scott’s life and legacy and to consider applying for the Scott C. LaBarre Memorial Scholarship, a testament to his vision and dedication to empowering blind and low-vision individuals.