Education for Life Scholarships
Scholarship Sponsored by See the Future Fund
About the SEE THE FUTURE Fund
The SEE THE FUTURE Fund provides scholarships to qualified blind and visually impaired students who are residents of Colorado. This program is funded by contributions from ophthalmologists, optometrists, opticians, staff members, corporations, educators, foundations and other supporters concerned with improving the lives of people with vision loss. Awards are granted on the basis of academic performance, school and community involvement, and demonstrated financial need.
Award amounts
The Fund may distribute up to $42,000 in scholarships. A likely breakdown (final decisions are made by the Selection Committee) is:
- One four-year award of $12,000
- One four-year award of $10,000
- One four-year award of $8,000
- Three two-year awards of $4,000 each
Additional scholarships
Other awards may also be offered and considered using the general SEE THE FUTURE application.
Who may apply (Residency)
Applicants must be Colorado residents and submit a completed application by the March 1st deadline. For SEE THE FUTURE (STF) residency purposes, a Colorado resident is defined as either:
- A dependent who has lived in Colorado for at least one year prior to the March 1, 2025 deadline; or
- An individual who has held a valid Colorado ID for at least one full year prior to the March 1, 2025 deadline.
Educational eligibility (must be enrolled full time in one of the following)
- Entering freshman in an academic post-secondary program
- Undergraduate student (sophomore, junior, or senior) in an academic post-secondary program
- Graduate student in an academic program
- Student in a vocational/technical program or pursuing an associate’s degree at a community college
- Student enrolled in a certified certificate program (for example, massage therapy)
Vision-loss eligibility
Applicants must meet one of the following vision criteria in the better eye (best corrected):
- Central visual acuity of 20/70 or worse and/or a peripheral field of 20 degrees or less; or
- Visual acuity of 20/40 or worse with associated visual field loss and a medical prognosis indicating likely further vision loss due to an underlying disease process.
Application submission and timeline
All applications must be emailed to Dr. Theune at twtheune@comcast.net on or before March 1, 2025. Selections will be announced by April 15, 2026.
Selection process
Final award decisions — including the number of scholarships and the precise dollar amounts — are made by the Selection Committee.