The Vision Council Scholarship Fund welcomes newest institutional partners

The Vision Council today announced its expansion of Opening Your Eyes: The Vision Council Scholarship Fund from its three launch schools—Georgia Piedmont Technical College, New York City Technical College, and Middlesex Community College—to additional institutions within the National Federation of Opticianry Schools (NFOS), including Durham Technical Community College (Durham, North Carolina) and Hillsborough Community College (Tampa, Florida).

Ashley Mills, CEO of The Vision Council, said that, following the successful launch of the scholarship fund in 2021, the organization is thrilled to expand the program and reach as many interested candidates as possible

“Our goal is to reach even more students in more communities and continue building a diverse pipeline of talent for the vision care community," Mills said in a statement. "By expanding the network of participating schools and promoting the program through a comprehensive regional marketing campaign, we are making additional efforts to maximize our reach to potential applicants across the country.”

The Vision Council is partnering with Spotted MP, a small, women and minority-owned business with expertise in regional, grassroots marketing efforts.

Through this partnership, The Vision Council will aim to reach more students and their families in local markets of participating NFOS schools, sharing about the field of opticianry and the scholarship.

The renewable scholarship, upon successful completion of all course work, includes funds of $6,000 per year and reimbursements of certification and state exam fees.

Scholarship recipients will be selected through the participating school’s foundations, and eligible students must have an interest in pursuing an associate degree in Ophthalmic Dispensing at a participating NFOS member institution.

Recipients will receive support from The Vision Council through graduation.

Upon graduation, The Vision Council will provide support that includes free registration and discounted continuing education at both Vision Expo East and West, and complimentary membership to National Academy of Opticianry (NAO) and Opticians Association of America (OAA).

In addition to the newest partners, The Vision Council is working to expand the scholarship to additional NFOS institutions over the coming months.

For more information on the program, visit here.