Owing to generous financial support in perpetuity and in honor of a dedicated supporter of the Blinded Veterans Association at all levels, the BVA Board of Directors has announced the renaming of the Association’s Kathern F. Gruber Scholarship Program. It will heretofore be known as the Sue Cantrell Scholarship Program.
BVA’s Sue Cantrell scholarships are available to spouses, children, and grandchildren of verified BVA members to assist them with their higher education or trade (vocational or technical) school tuition. These military scholarships are awarded based on merit through an application process evaluated by a committee. The Cantrell scholarships for veterans’ dependents are for one year only but recipients can re-apply and receive the award up to four (4) times. Applications for the 2025-26 academic year are due April 30, 2025, for the four (4) awards valued at $2,500 each.
Ellen Sue Cantrell passed away on May 4, 2024, leaving an indelible mark on the lives of all who knew her. Sue had many different careers and hobbies that took her to court rooms, gardening clubs, counseling sessions, and quilting projects. In each venue, those with whom she associated felt special and loved. Sue was a life-long friend of Lois W, co-founder of Al-Anon Family Groups and a 12-Step fellowship for the friends and family of alcoholics. Sue and her husband, Randy, current Director of District 4, adopted two sons and were foster parents to many. Sue was an effective drug and alcohol counselor for both the addicted as well as the parents of addicted children. She served as a delegate for Al-Anon Family Groups. Sue also served as the Secretary for the BVA Auxiliary, a group comprised of family members, friends, and caregivers united in the mission of ensuring our country’s blind and low vision veterans have the support they need.
The Sue Cantrell Scholarship Program was established to support and assist spouses, children, and grandchildren of BVA members. Successful applicants for the scholarships have demonstrated excellence in their past academic work and promising potential for achievement in higher education pursuits. The selection criteria for awarding the scholarships are merit-based with candidates evaluated by a committee.
The Cantrell scholarships for eligible applicants are for one year only but recipients can re-apply and receive the award up to four times during their academic careers. The recipient’s spouse, parent, or grandparent is required to be a current or deceased verified member of the Blinded Veterans Association to be eligible for the scholarships.
Annual scholarship details are announced in December of each year for the subsequent academic year beginning in the fall. The announcement includes detailed instructions, an application form, and announces the number of scholarships available for the upcoming year and their corresponding dollar amounts.
The scholarships must be used to defray a student’s cost of expenses for tuition, books, or other academic fees and are payable directly to the institution at the beginning of the fall and spring terms of study. At the time of application, candidates must have already been accepted for admission or be attending an undergraduate or graduate program at an accredited institution of higher education or business, secretarial, or vocational training schools as a full-time student.
All submissions for scholarships must be submitted electronically no later than April 30, 2025 by 12:00 midnight EST or postmarked on or before Wednesday, April 30, 2025. Physical applications should be sent to:
Blinded Veterans Association
Attn: Scholarship Committee
PO Box 90770
Washington, DC 20090
The Scholarship Committee meets in early June to make scholarship determinations. For additional assistance or information, contact BVA at 202-371-8880 or email scholarship@bva.org.
New scholarship opportunities coming in December 2024.