Scholarship Application

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Required*

I understand I am required to attend the scholarship ceremony on Thursday, July 23, 2026 as part of my application.
I understand I am required to either be a resident of Illinois (attending any school), or an employee of The Chicago Lighthouse.

Personal Information

Name*

First

Last

Gender Identity*

Address*

Street Address

Address Line 2

City

State / Province / Region

ZIP / Postal Code

Phone*

Email*

Date of Birth*

Is this your first time submitting an application?*

Yes
No

If you received a Chicago Lighthouse Scholarship in the past, please indicate which year(s) you were a recipient.*

You cannot be awarded a scholarship more than four years in a row. However, you may reapply after a one year gap period.. After an one year period, you will be eligible to apply for up to an additional four years.

Describe yourself:*

Please check the best box that applies to the category that you are applying under:

Low vision (best corrected visual acuity of 20/70 or worse in the better eye)
Legally Blind (best corrected visual acuity of 20/200 or worse in the better eye)
Totally Blind (no light perception in both eyes)
Low Vision/Blind and Other Disabilities (meeting one of the above vision related criterion with the presence of an additional documented disability, such as a physical disability, deafness, intellectual disability or chronic health condition)
Chicago Lighthouse Employee with one of the above vision disabilities
Chicago Lighthouse Employee with another documented disability
Chicago Lighthouse Employee and a Veteran
N/A

Education Information

Name of institution you plan to attend:*

Institution Location*

City

State / Province / Region

Date of Acceptance*

Please indicate when you were admitted to this institution OR when you anticipate your acceptance to be offered, if known.

Full-Time or Part-Time*

Please indicate whether you plan to study full-time or part-time during the period which this scholarship would apply.

Area of Study*

Degree Sought*

Anticipated Date of Degree Completion*

Please indicate when you expect to complete your degree. If estimating, simply choose the first day of the month you expect to graduate, e.g. 06/01/2026.

Awards & Honors*

Please describe any scholarships, academic honors, awards or accommodations you have received. Cite date and explain recognition for each. If you don’t have any awards or honors, respond: N/A.

Cumulative GPA*

Please note: Your submitted transcript must reflect a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better to be considered.

GPA Scale*

Is GPA weighted?*

Employment Experience

Describe your current situation:*

Please select all that apply.

Student full-time
Student part-time
Employed full-time
Employed part-time
Unemployed

Current Employment Status*

If applicable, please indicate the name of the organization where you currently work, date of employment, position held and a brief description of your role. If you are not employed, respond: N/A.

Past Work Experience*

If applicable, please include the following details for each past position listed: name of the organization, date of employment, position held and a brief description of your role. (No need to repeat work experience included in the Current Employment Status section.) If you do not have past work experience, respond: N/A.

Anticipated Costs

What are your anticipated costs to attend?*

Please refer to the financial aid web page for the institution you plan to attend for an estimate of cost of attendance. Consider all of the following: tuition, fees, room, board, assistive technology, tools, books, reading services, etc.

How much support do you anticipate receiving from other sources of funding?*

Consider all of the following: financial aid, loans, family support, employment, Department of Human Services (DHS), Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS), sponsors, scholarships, etc. Please list the anticipated cost per source.

How do you intend to use scholarship funds, if awarded?*

Please select all that apply.

Tuition
School Fees
On-Campus Housing
On-Campus Meals
Assistive Tools & Technology
Textbooks & Course Materials
Reading Services
Other (please specify in next text box)

I plan to use the scholarship funds on:

Supporting Documents

Please note, the documents required below can either be uploaded with your application now, or emailed to Maureen Reid at scholarship@chicagolighthouse.org on or before 11:59 p.m. on March 31, 2026.

Essays

Your essays should be a minimum of one page / maximum of two pages, double-spaced. Please upload completed essay documents in Word or PDF format. Please include your name (first and last) on each page of each document in the event that your documents are separated from the rest of your application.

Character Essay*

Please write an essay about your visual disability including any other disabilities (if applicable) as well as your background, educational aspirations and career goals. If you are an employee of The Chicago Lighthouse, please include information about your other disabilities or Veteran status. Discuss how a scholarship from The Chicago Lighthouse will help achieve your goals. Include your academic and/or activity achievements.

Max. file size: 100 MB.

Financial Statement of Need*

Please describe in detail your economic need and how you plan to use the scholarship, if you are awarded. You need to be as specific as possible in order to receive a scholarship award. This part of your application is heavily weighted in the evaluation criteria.

Max. file size: 100 MB.

Eye Report

File

Please have your eye specialist complete the Eye Report, which can be found on the main scholarship page. Previous scholarship recipients must submit a current vision report obtained within the last six months, regardless of whether we have one on file from a previous year. Once completed, scan the document and upload here.

Max. file size: 100 MB.

Personal Information

Education Information

Employment Experience

Anticipated Costs

Supporting Documents

Essays

Eye Report

Related Links

Veterans Login