The R. Creig Slayton Memorial Scholarship for the 2026-27 Academic Year Provided Annually by the Iowa Council of the United Blind

The Iowa Council of the United Blind is a consumer-run organization dedicated to improving the equality, opportunity, and independence of blind Iowans.  Through   education, advocacy, and a firm belief in the potential and abilities of people with vision loss, we help each other become fully participating members of our families, communities, and workplaces.

We are pleased to offer a one-year non-renewable $2500 college scholarship to be available for the 2026-2027 academic year.  The scholarship will be awarded to a blind or visually impaired individual planning to attend on a full-time basis a fully accredited community college, college, or university.  The ICUB membership invites eligible students with a broad range of business, professional, skilled/technical, or service career aspirations to apply.  Applicants may be recent high school graduates, those already enrolled in two-or four-year undergraduate programs, or those pursuing graduate study, and we welcome both traditional and nontraditional students.  All application materials should be submitted to the ICUB President by April 15, 2026. The Scholarship Committee will select a recipient who will be formally recognized and honored in a brief ceremony attended by the student and members of his/her family at the annual ICUB convention luncheon on Saturday, August 29, 2026.

Eligibility

Applicants for this scholarship must: 

• Be a legal resident of the state of Iowa

• Be blind or visually impaired

• Have a minimum cumulative grade of B from the school from which they have most recently graduated or in which they are currently enrolled

Application Procedures 

Applicants must submit to the President:

• A completed ICUB scholarship application form 

• Documentation of legal blindness by a certified medical professional 

• Verification of acceptance by, or current enrollment in, an accredited post-secondary institution

• An essay of approximately 650 words discussing briefly educational or career goals and explaining why the applicant should be considered for the scholarship 

• Three reference letters from individuals sufficiently knowledgeable to address the applicant’s academic ability or other characteristics or experiences relevant to probable future success

Download the application here:

R Creig Slayton 2026 Scholarship Application Form.docx

Download DOCX • 48KB

Any questions may be addressed to president@icublind.org.

The ICUB membership is pleased to provide this scholarship, to be paid directly to the eligible college of choice, for an entire year provided the student maintains an average grade point average of 2.5 or higher in the fall semester for first-year college students and a 3.0 for those already enrolled in a post-secondary or graduate program. If the student elects to transfer to another educational institution at mid-year scholarship support for the spring semester is transferable provided he/she had maintained the required grade point average and otherwise demonstrated sustained commitment to his/her educational goals.