The Fall River Commission on Disability voted unanimously Sept. 17 to allocate $8,000 to cover event expenses for its 2026 scholarship program, with scholarship awards to be allocated separately at a later date.

Commissioner Dan Robillard moved the allocation and Commissioner Anne O'Neil Souza seconded. In the motion Robillard specified the $8,000 was for “all items” associated with the scholarship event except the scholarship awards themselves, which will be handled in a future, separate allocation and on a weighted schedule.

Commissioners completed a roll-call vote; Dennis Paulselli, Lisa Silva, Dan Robillard, Anne O'Neil Souza and Katie Driscoll voted yes. The commission’s budget report for September had previously been distributed to members, and the allocation will be recorded in the commission’s fiscal files.

At the meeting staff noted one current scholarship recipient will transfer to another institution in January; the commission said it will confirm the receiving institution and ensure the scholarship is applied in the same fiscal year. The recipient’s destination institution was not specified on the record.

This vote covers only administrative event expenses and does not award or change any scholarship amounts.