Earlier this fall, the American Academy of Optometry (AAO) Foundation and VSP Vision partnered to award over $200,000 in scholarships to fourth-year optometry students across North America.
This investment in “the future of eye care” is just the latest installment in the duo's long-standing collaboration to support achievements in patient care and practice management.
Talk more about this collaboration.
The AAO Foundation (AAOF; AAO’s philanthropic arm) and VSP have spent the last 40+ years teaming up through the Practice Excellence Scholarship program.
The way this collaboration works is fairly simple:
- VSP funds the scholarships
- AAOF administers the scholarships to recipients
And what do we know about the recipients?
Each year, two 4th-year students are selected from each accredited optometry school across North America—encompassing the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada—to receive up to $4,000.
- Eligibility requirements can be found here.
Recipients are also given a travel grant to attend the AAO’s annual meeting.
So this is limited just to optometry students in North America?
For this year’s recipients? Yes. However, the program has also expanded internationally in the past.
Case in point: When the 3rd World Congress of Optometry was held alongside the AAO annual meeting in 2019. VSP Global added an Australian Practice Excellence Scholarship that was open to students from four Australian institutions.
In that instance, the scholarships were funded by VSP's Global Charitable Fund and administered through the AAOF.
Nice! Now let’s talk about these 2026 recipients.
As standard, each of the 52 selected optometry students received $4K as well as a travel grant to attend this year’s annual AAO meeting in Anaheim, California (check out our coverage for those details).
Among the academic institutions they hailed from:
- Illinois College of Optometry
- Indiana University School of Optometry
- Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Optometry
- Kentucky College of Optometry at University of Pikeville
- Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences School of Optometry
- Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University
- Midwestern University – Arizona College of Optometry
- Midwestern University – Chicago College of Optometry
- New England College of Optometry
- Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry
- Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry
- Pacific University College of Optometry
- Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Drexel University
- Rocky Mountain University College of Optometry
- Southern California College of Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University
- Southern College of Optometry
- State University of New York College of Optometry
- The Ohio State University College of Optometry
- University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry
- University of California – Berkeley - Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science
- University of Houston College of Optometry
- University of Missouri – St. Louis College of Optometry
- University of Montreal School of Optometry
- University of the Incarnate Word Rosenberg School of Optometry
- University of Waterloo School of Optometry & Vision Science
- Western University of Health Sciences College of Optometry
How about their names?
For all 52 optometry student names, click here.
And check out the list of last year’s winners.
Now, this isn't the only optometry scholarship VSP is involved in, right?
Quite right. Among its other opportunities for students:
- Propel Student Business Challenge Scholarship (powered by PECAA)
- Dr. Marvin R. Poston Leadership Awards
- Student Innovator Award
- The Vision of Hope Scholarship
- Dr. Frank D. Fontana Memorial Scholarship
- Dr. Craig Hisaka Memorial Scholarship
- VSP Admissions Scholarship
Check out its scholarship program page for all the details (and the list of 2026 winners).
To date: VSP has funded a reported $4.6M in scholarships to nearly 1.4K optometry students.
Any other programs?
Yes! In recent news: The company announced earlier this year that it has provided over $3 million in debt relief to 70 optometry students, recent graduates, and practicing optometrists since its establishment of the VSP Vision Student Loan Repayment Program in 2023.
Looking ahead to 2027: VSP has (so far) committed $14M—and plans to fund an additional 20 recipients.