If you pursue one specialization, it will take you four semesters (fall, spring, summer and fall) of full-time study to complete your master's degree. An additional semester of study is needed for each additional specialization. For example, if you pursue the specialization in teacher of students with visual impairments and the specialization in orientation and mobility, it will take you five semesters to finish your degree. Please note that this timeline doesn't include any of the licensure courses required for the teacher of students with visual impairments specialization.
Vision Grant
Your teaching career in visual disabilities starts here, and it’s fully funded.
Grant funding is available for qualified applicants pursuing an M.S.Ed. in special education with a visual disabilities specialization.
Our fully accredited, in-person programs use a cohort approach. You'll move through the program with a group of fellow students, helping you build lifelong connections. When you graduate, you'll be ready to help all students feel valued and safe as a teacher of students with visual impairments, assistive technology specialist or orientation and mobility instructor.
Grant funding is awarded annually on a first-come, first-served basis.
What the Grant Covers
The grant covers tuition (in-state or out-of-state), all fees and student health insurance. It also provides a yearly stipend of $9,500, distributed semimonthly. There are no restrictions on how you spend the stipend. Many students use it for expenses such as rent, transportation and books/course materials.
The M.S.Ed. degree has several specializations. The grant will cover up to two of the following specializations, enhancing your resume and increasing your career options:
- Teacher of students with visual impairments
- Orientation and mobility
- Assistive technology used by persons with visual impairments
- Vision rehabilitation therapy
Students often complete two specializations together as part of the same degree program.
Contact Us
Special and Early Education Vision ProgramGraham Hall 230Grant Project Director
Stacy Kelly, Ed.D.
815-753-4103
skelly@niu.edu
Take the Next Step
Ready to Apply?
To be eligible for the grant, you must be:
- A U.S. citizen
- A full-time student
- A bachelor's degree in any subject
- Willing to commit to working with those with visual impairments anywhere in the U.S. for twice as long as you receive financial support (read more about the service commitment)
-
Apply to the NIU Graduate School
Your application will include the following:
- Transcripts (3.0 or higher GPA for the last two years of undergraduate work required)
- Two letters of recommendation from employers, supervisors or professors
- Personal statement describing your reasons for applying and goals for a career in the field of visual impairments
-
Contact Stacy Kelly (skelly@niu.edu, 815-753-4103) to request the addition of your name to the list of grant applicants.
Grant funding is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
Have More Questions?
Register for one of our information sessions to learn more about our in-person visual disabilities program from our nationally recognized vision faculty. Zoom meeting links will be sent in advance of each session.
Frequently Asked Questions
The grant is available only to full-time students, who, for example, take four or five classes in the first fall and first spring semesters and four classes in the first summer semester of their program of study.
Acceptance to our graduate program and grant funding are two separate processes. Acceptance to the graduate program doesn't mean that grant funding will be automatically awarded to you. You must contact Stacy Kelly (skelly@niu.edu, 815-753-4103) for additional information about the grant and funding that is available to be awarded.
Accepting the grant means you agree to work with people with visual impairments anywhere in the U.S. for twice as long as you receive financial support. The more detailed and specific parameters of the service obligation are provided to prospective students and interested applicants who contact Stacy Kelly (skelly@niu.edu, 815-753-4103).
If you don't complete the service obligation requirements as specifically outlined in the service obligation agreement, you will be required to repay the grant money you received as outlined in the service obligation agreement.