2026 AOA/AOSA Opportunities in Optometry Grant
Offered by American Optometric Association Foundation and American Optometric Student Association
About this scholarship
The 2026 Opportunities in Optometry Grant provides $1,500 to students from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in optometry who plan to apply to optometry school within the next 12 months. The AOA Foundation and AOSA designed the grant to reduce practical barriers such as the Optometry Admission Test, centralized application fees, interview clothing, and interview travel. Applicants may be current students at four-year accredited U.S. institutions or graduates who have completed the undergraduate prerequisites for optometry school; students already enrolled in optometry programs are not eligible. The sponsor suggests a 2.75 GPA but allows applicants below that level to explain relevant circumstances. The live application requests a reference, resume or curriculum vitae, unofficial transcripts, and two substantive responses. One response addresses the importance of increasing representation in optometry and the applicant’s contributions to diversity; the second promotes the applicant and explains how the grant would help, using a medium of the applicant’s choice. Academic achievement, career preparation, references, and financial need all inform selection. The current application offers May 1 and December 1 deadlines; this listing uses the remaining December 1, 2026 cutoff.
Eligibility
- Identify with an eligible racial or ethnic group underrepresented in optometry
- Attend a four-year accredited United States institution or have completed optometry prerequisites
- Plan to apply to an optometry school within the next 12 months
- Not be currently enrolled in an optometry degree program
- Submit one reference, a resume or curriculum vitae, and unofficial transcripts
- Complete both required application responses
- Submit the direct application by December 1, 2026