VSP Vision and the American Academy of Optometry Foundation (AAOF) have awarded nearly $200,000 in scholarships to 50 fourth-year optometry students across the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada as part of the 2025 Practice Excellence Scholarship program.

Funded by VSP Vision and administered by the AAOF, the annual scholarships recognize top-performing students for their academic and clinical achievements. Recipients also received travel grants to attend Academy 2025 in Boston.

The 2025 awards coincide with VSP Vision’s 70th anniversary, during which the organization has distributed a total of 70 scholarships this year. Since the program’s inception, VSP Vision has awarded more than $4 million in scholarships to nearly 1,200 optometry students.

"Each year, we’re inspired by the outstanding academic and clinical achievements of the Practice Excellence Scholarship recipients," says Valerie Sharpe, OD, FAAO, president of the AAOF board of directors. "This new generation of optometrists is well-equipped to shape the future of eye care.”