Native American Grants & Scholarships

If you are interested in attending college and are Native American, there are quite a few options available to assist you in paying your tuition.

Many people are not aware that the scholarships available to Native Americans who meet the criteria are abundant. Many of the scholarships do call for applicants to be no less than 1/4 Native American. What this means is that if you are not currently a member of a federally recognized tribe, you may be required to submit evidence to prove that you are a 1/4 Native American. The U.S. government recognizes 561 Native American Tribes.

If you are eligible, scholarships are frequently awarded by various states and Native American tribes, corporations, and organizations like the American Indian Science & Engineering Society.

It is thought that Native Americans encompass the smallest minority group when it comes to population. In fact, the U.S. Census Bureau documented that in the year 2000, Native Americans were less than 1% of the populace in the U.S. Because the Native American percentage was so small, there were very few options available for students to obtain scholarships tailored to their Native American ethnicity for many years.

Native Americans decided to create their own universities and colleges to educate their members and their nations. Native Americans went one step further and established their own tribal scholarships that were offered through the tribal organization. Students in a tribe that is recognized by the U.S. are eligible to receive these scholarships.

Several scholarship programs are federally funded and offered to the students of tribes that are recognized by the government. Currently, there are over 550 tribes that the U.S. federal government recognizes as separate political civilizations. Only these tribe members are eligible to receive these federally funded scholarships.

Native Americans can also receive scholarships from institutions that concentrate their efforts on minorities and from professional organizations.

Scholarships Available to Native Americans

The Judith McManus Price Scholarship

This scholarship awards $2,000 to $4,000 every year. This scholarship is awarded to several minority students.

Eligibility

• The recipients of this scholarship must be majoring in regional and urban planning.
• Eligible studentsí ancestry is Native American, African American or Hispanic.
• Applicants are required to be female citizens of the U.S.
• The applicant has to be a student that has been officially accepted or already an enrolled student in a graduate or undergraduate planning program. This program must be accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board.

Applicant selection will be based on:

• The commitment the individual demonstrates to planning.
• The applicants will be required to provide a personal statement, rÈsumÈ, recommendation letters, her academic achievements and improvements within the two years prior to submitting her application.
• She needs to show financial necessity absolute and relative to the cost of tuition, geographic balance and professional presentation of that specific year.

Deadline for application submission is April 30th. For more information, write to:

Kriss Blank in the Leadership Affairs Department
The American Planning Association
122 South Michigan Avenue, Suite 1600
Chicago, IL 60605

Or call (312) 786-6722. Email address is kblank@planning.org.

Website address: www.planning.org.

Displaced Homemaker Scholarship

This scholarship awards $1,500 every year to Native Americans that are graduate and undergraduate students. The number of scholarships given each year varies. There is a ëgenericí scholarship/grant application that is used for all the scholarships available at the AAIA website. It is available at www.indian-affairs.org.

Eligibility requirements are listed below; however, there are specific guidelines that have to be met when applying for the Displaced Homemaker Scholarship.

$750 each semester is paid out to the recipientís college awaiting satisfactory progress. These funds can be used to help with the recipientís living expenses, childcare, educational costs and transportation. Spring payout requires documentation showing the grades the recipient received in the fall semester and the upcoming spring semester class schedule. Students can reapply for this scholarship every year.

The additional information necessary to receive this scholarship:

• The applicants must submit their monthly budget.
• The applicants are required to submit an essay outlining their family responsibilities.

Usually, ëdisplaced homemakerí is referring to a man or woman who is slightly older (30+) who:

• Attended college in their youth, but decided to hold off on continuing their education to care for their family. They are now able to return to finish their schooling and obtain their degree.
• Has never been able to attend college because of responsibilities to their family and are attending college for the very first time. This commonly occurs when their children have grown and moved out of the house or their younger children are now entering school themselves.
• The applicant was working in a particular job sector and has now lost his job because of downsizing. The applicant is in need of a degree to obtain another job in a different line of work.
• The applicant was working in a particular job sector that did not require a degree, but is in need of a degree to obtain a better position to care for family.

All items that are listed on the check sheet of the application must be submitted at the same time.

Eligibility

• Applicant must be of Native American descent or an Alaska Native that is from Alaska or the continental United States.
• Applicants are required to be at least 1/4 Indian.
• Applicants can be from a non-recognized tribe within the United States or from a tribe that is recognized by the federal government.
• Applications will be accepted from students that are graduating from a secondary school, college seniors, juniors, sophomores and freshmen as well as doctoral and graduate students.
• Students are required to seek at least an associateís degree. Certificate programs are not funded with any of the scholarships offered at AAIA.
• Students have to attend accredited schools.
• Applicants are eligible if they are students full-time in the spring and fall semesters. Students who attend quarters or trimesters can be considered, depending which classes were taken from September to May/June.
• The funding received by a recipient is for spring and fall semesters. Semesters are not funded separately.
• The checks will be sent to the school, not the recipient. The disbursement of the funds is determined by the school.
• Spring check disbursement is dependent on the fall grades and the spring schedule.
• Applicants only need to submit one application packet; all applicants are considered for any scholarship they are eligible to receive.
• Submitted documents are not returnable; do not submit original tribal enrollment or CIB paperwork.
• Students are able to receive one scholarship yearly.
• Summer sessions, seminary or certificate programs are not funded with these scholarships.
• Recipients of the scholarships are responsible for supplying the AAIA office with their address change information.

To print an application to apply, go to: www.indian-affairs.org.

Minnesota Indian Scholarship Program

This program awards $3,300 to $6,600 every year to Minnesota Native Americans. This program awards a different number of scholarships to undergraduate students each year.

Eligibility

Student eligibility is determined as follows:

• The applicant is required to be a resident of Minnesota and at least one-fourth American Indian.
• Applicants have to complete the FAFSA and apply for other federal and state grant and scholarship programs.
• Meet the SAP (Satisfactory Academic Progress) requirements. An undergraduate must have a cumulative GPA of no less than 2.0 (unless the college you attend requires you to have a higher GPA). The recipientís progress will be monitored at the conclusion of each term by your college and the Office of Student Finance to ensure you continue to meet the GPA requirement.
• The applicant has to show that he is in financial need to receive this award.
• Undergraduate applicants need to have a qualifying EFC (Expected Family Contribution) for a Minnesota State Grant or a Pell Grant. The applicant must still have financial need once the EFC and all other forms of aid have been deducted from the attendance cost as outlined in Title IV.
• Undergraduate student applicants need to be enrolled three-quarters of the time.
• A graduate student applicant has to have financial need following the EFC and all other forms of gift aid have been subtracted for the cost of attendance as outlined in Title IV.
• Graduate student applicants are required to be enrolled no less than half-time.
• The applicant cannot have defaulted on any state or federal student loans or, if he does have a loan in default, he must have regained his eligibility to receive state and federal aid.
• Graduate students pursuing an M.S. or M.A. degree have to maintain a cumulative GPA of no less than 2.8 (unless the college being attended requires the GPA to be higher). This minimum GPA has to be maintained the whole time the recipient is enrolled in a masterís degree or graduate certificate program. There is an exception for professional students in dentistry, pharmacy or veterinary medicine programs their GPA requirement is lower and only needs to be at least 2.0.

Financial Aid Time Frame Stipulations

The maximum timeframe for an undergraduate to receive financial aid is 150% of his published degree credits that are necessary to finish his program. For instance, if the degree program necessitates 120 degree credits, his is eligible to receive aid for a maximum of 180 attempted credits. The recipientís accumulative credit completion ratio will be calculated each semester to make sure that no less than 75% of the attempted credits have been earned to be eligible for aid.

The maximum time frame for a graduate student to receive financial aid is 150% of his published degree credits that are necessary to complete his program. For instance, if the studentís certificate or graduate program necessitates 30 credits, he is eligible to receive aid for as many as 45 attempted credits.

Every semester, the recipientís accumulative credit completion ratio will be determined to make sure that at least 67% of all his attempted credits were completed. The number of credits that were actually earned is compared to the number that was attempted to that date. This number includes courses that were enrolled in after the drop/add period.

To learn more about this scholarship, go to www.ohe.state.mn.us. To print and fill out an application for this scholarship, visit www.llojibwe.org.

Osage Tribal Education Committee Scholarship

This scholarship awards $200 to $400 every year to 150 to 250 undergraduate students that are Osage Tribal members.

The Osage Nationís Higher Education Grant

This scholarship is obtainable by Osage Indians that are attending a university or college. The Osage Higher Education Committee decides eligibility.

To apply for the Osage Higher Education Grant, the Morris E. & Ethel Carlton Wheeler Scholarship or the Mary Tinker Scholarship Fund, write or call the Osage Nation Education Department.

When writing:

Osage Nation Education Department
Attention Jennifer Holding
HC 66 Box 900
Hominy, Oklahoma 74035

To call: (800) 390-6724 or (918) 287-5300

All three of these scholarships are applied for on the same application. The online application is at www.osagetribe.com.

The deadlines for these applications are:

• Spring-December 31
• Summer-May 1
• Fall-July 1

The Osage Tribal Education Committee Scholarship (OTEC)

This scholarship is available to all Osage Indians that are attending a vocational-technical school, university or college. The amount of Osage Indian Blood a student has in his ancestry is irrelevant, as is his place of residence. To receive an application, call or write the OTEC.

To write:

OTEC
c/o Oklahoma Area Education Office
200 Northwest 4th Street, Suite 4049
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73102

To call: (405) 605-6051

This scholarship must be reapplied for each semester. Deadlines are:

• Spring-December 31
• Fall-July 1

The Mae Lasley/Osage Scholarship Fund

This fund is administered by Tulsaís Catholic Diocese. All Osage Indians that are attending a university or college is able to apply. There is not an application available online; to receive more information or request an application, write or call the Mae Lasley/Osage Scholarship Fund.

To Write:

Mae Lasley/Osage Scholarship Fund
Post Office Box 690240
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74169-0240

To Call: (918) 294-1904

The deadline for this scholarship is April 15; students must reapply every year.

The LT. William Scott (Roxie Scott) Scholarship Fund

This fund is accessible to single male Osage Indian students attending the University of Oklahoma. For more information, call or write The Minority Student Services Office.

To write:

Minority Student Services Office
731 Elm
Hester Hall 200
Norman, Oklahoma 73109-0230

To call: (405) 325-3163

To print out an application online, visit www.osagetribe.com.

Catching the Dream Scholarships (CTD)

CTDís scholarship program is available nationwide. Their scholarships are $500 to $5,000 every school year. Scholarships are given on merit and take into consideration the students that CTD selects will be the most likely to make the Indian people’s lives better.

CTD provides recipients with supplementary funding for those students who have already received some college funding elsewhere. The competition for these scholarships is extremely intense and only 55% of the applicants receive a scholarship.

Native American Leadership in Education

This scholarship, also known as NALE, awards $500 to $5,000 every year to as many as 30 undergraduate Native American students. This scholarship is for paraprofessionals attending Indian Schools, planning to finish degrees in counseling, school administration or education.

Only seven percent of the teachers in the schools on the reservations are Indians. Because of this, there is a tremendous need for Indian teachers.

The Tribal Business Management Program (TBM)

This scholarship is for Native American students in the management, business, finance, banking, economics, management in a hotel and other related fields and planning a vocation in tribal economic developments. This program awards $500 to $5,000 every year to up to 35 graduate and undergraduate students.

The MESBEC Program

This is the oldest program offered by the Catching the Dream. The six fields of study that take precedence are engineering, math, computers, business, education and science. All of the medical fields are included in the Science category of this program. These six fields are the fields that have the fewest Indian graduates.

Eligibility Requirements for the TBM, NALE & MESBEC Programs

• Applicants are required to be at least 1/4 American Indian as well as a tribe member of one of the U.S. recognized tribe.
• Students have to be planning to attend or already attending a university or a college that is fully accredited in the U.S., full-time. The study has to be considered college-level. The level can vary from a bachelorís degree to postdoctoral studies.
• Applicants grades have to be excellent with high SAT or ACT scores.
• An applicant has to possess leadership skills and have work experience.
• Applicants need to have a deep commitment to the Indian community they reside in.
• All students that apply to these programs must also try to obtain every source of funding available to them. These funding sources can be private scholarships, grants, loans, federal aid and other tribal scholarships.
• Applicants are required to write an all-inclusive essay about their future plans and themselves.
• The applicants must also provide proof that they graduated from high school and college admission information. It is recommended that applicants contact Catching the Dream by phone or e-mail prior to applying for the NALE, TBM, or MESBEC scholarships.
• All applicants utilize the same form for applying.
• Applications are required to be postmarked no later than the date of the deadline. If the 15th should fall on a Sunday, the deadline will move to the following day, Monday the 16th.

Application Deadlines

• Spring Quarter or Semester-September 15
• Summer School-March 15
• Fall Quarter or Semester-April 15

The First Sergeant Douglas & Charlotte DeHorse Scholarship

This scholarship was established in 2007 and was a restricted fund that was administered by CTD; it is believed that this is the first and only scholarship that was ever established particularly for American Indian veterans. This scholarship is unique because it brings hundreds of tribal cultures together and emphasizes their veteran status.

Eligibility Requirements

This scholarship is available to American Indians who:

• have finished one year in either the Navy, Air force, Junior Reserve Officer Training program or Army; Or
• are currently enrolled in a Navy, Air force, Army or Reserve Officer Training program; Or
• are a United States Navy, Army, Air Force, Merchant Marine, Coast Guard or Marine; And
• are currently enrolled in a graduate or undergraduate program of study.

Application Deadlines

• Spring Semester/Winter Quarter has a deadline of September 15th
• Fall Semester/Autumn Quarter has a deadline of April 15th

Application Requirements

• Completed Application Form
• Personal Essay
• Letters of Recommendation
• Transcripts from High School
• Anything Else CTD requires

To apply for this scholarship, visit www.catchingthedream.org.

To write:

Catching the Dream
8200 Mountain Road, Northeast Suite 203
Attention: Scholarship Affairs Office
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87110

To call: (505) 262-2351, extension # 116

To Email: NScholarsh@aol.com, Subject: Scholarship Application Request

To find out more about the CTD scholarships and download an application, visit www.catchingthedream.org/Scholarship.htm.

The College Resource Program of the Cherokee Nation

The College Resource Program of the Cherokee Nation awards scholarships to particular Cherokee Nation Tribal members. The members who receive these scholarships are pursuing degrees at accredited Carnegie unit universities and colleges.

To apply to receive these funds, the new and continuing students are required to complete an application packet. They must then submit it to the College Resource Office on or before the deadline. All the application documents have to arrive together.

There are three outcomes desired by the Cherokee Nation College Resources Program:

• They want to strengthen the independence of the Cherokee Nation.
• They are interested in promoting the Cherokee Nationís culture and language.
• They are looking to increase the number of its citizens.

These outcomes are kept in mind when choosing the recipients of the scholarship. In the future, scholarship applications could provide an indifference to students who have previously demonstrated accomplishments that are related to the outcomes that are desired.

The Cherokee Promise Scholarship

This scholarship is intended to provide low-income Cherokee students with financial assistance. This gives them the opportunity to pursue a higher education. The Education Services Groups and the Cherokee Nation Human Services have joined to develop and then administer the Cherokee Promise Scholarships.

This scholarship provides students a $1,000 housing scholarship and a $2,000 educational scholarship each semester. Cherokee Promise Students reside in a designated hall that has large rooms and houses other students of Cherokee ancestry. Students will be given specialized classes and a multitude of Cherokee cultural activities.

Eligibility Requirements

• Applicant has to be a Cherokee Nation citizen and reside in a county located in the fourteen-county jurisdictional areas.
• Applicants have to meet all the requirements for the Cherokee Nation Undergraduate Scholarship and the Cherokee Nation Human Services College Housing Assistance Program (income guidelines included).
• He has to be accepted at Northeastern State University.
• The recipient must reside on campus in a designated hall.
• He needs to have a 2.7 grade point average.
• Applicants are required to participate in the available Self-Help program.
• Applicants are obligated to partake in the Cherokee Cultural Curriculum.
• Priority is given to the incoming freshman.

To request more information or receive an application packet, contact:

Cherokee Nation Education Services & Human Services
Cherokee Promise Scholarship
P.O. Box 948
Tahlequah, Oklahoma 74465

To call: Jerri Callaway at (800) 456-0671 Extension # 5429 or (918) 453-5000 Extension # 5429

Or online: www.cherokee.org.

An application is available at www.cherokee.org.

For more information, please contact the Human Services office in your area. You will be able to obtain the specific application deadline dates for every year.

If you have any questions or are in need of assistance to complete the Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Cherokee Nation Scholarship Application, call the College Resources office at (800) 265-0761 Toll Free or (918) 453-5465, then select option (5) on the voice menu.

Scholarships for American Indian Students

AAAA Foundations, Inc.

This foundation gives scholarships to individuals of color and women who are focusing their studies on art, advertising and media careers. This foundation is available nationally and assists diverse women in receiving higher education in the aforementioned fields.

Actuarial Foundation Diversity Scholarship

This scholarship program is for individuals with Native American ancestry and other minority groups. This scholarship is available to full-time graduate and undergraduate students that are pursuing degrees that could lead to careers in the actuarial professions.

AAAA Foundations, Inc. website: www.aaaa.org

To print the application to mail in and apply for the AAAA Foundations, Inc. Scholarship/Grant, go to www.dustoff.org or www.beanactuary.org.

Application Requirements

• Current transcripts from the applicantís college or secondary school
• Completed academic reporting form-available at www.dustoff.org
• Proof of secondary school or college admission
• A mandatory 250-word essay, outlining his life, work experience and future aspirations, is required for applicants who are graduate students
• Two completed reference forms-available at www.dustoff.org
• School and teacher recommendation forms-also available at www.dustoff.org
• A photograph of the applicant
• Applications will not be considered unless they are received on time with all the required information and forms.

Applicants will receive a list of the winning applicants no later than August 15. For more information, email Scholarships@ActFnd.org or call (847) 706-3535.

American Chemistry Society Scholars Program

This program awards freshman students up to $2,500, for sophomores up to $3,000 and for juniors and seniors $5,000 each year. The number of awards and the amount given is subject to the funds available.

Eligibility Requirements

• The applicant has to be American Indian, Hispanic or African-American.
• Applicants are required to be citizens of the U.S. or permanent residents.
• He has to be a full-time student at a an accredited community college, university, college or a high school or
• An applicant is required to be a college junior, sophomore, freshman or a graduating secondary school senior that is intending, or if in college already majoring in chemical engineering, biochemistry, chemistry, or planning a career in chemical sciences.
• He needs to demonstrate a high academic achievement in science or chemistry.
• The applicant must show financial need as is determined by the FAFSA and SAR form.
• Applicants are required to be permanent residents of the States or a U.S. citizen.
• Applicants must have a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a scale of 4.0.

To learn more, go to acs.org.

The Gates Millennium Scholars Program

This scholarship is worth $500 to $40,000 to 150 students that are graduate or undergraduate students every year.

Eligibility Requirements

• Applicant must be an Alaskan Native, American Indian, Asian Pacific Islander American, Hispanic American or an African American.
• Applicants are required to be a U.S. citizen, legal or national permanent U.S. resident.
• Applicants must have achieved an accumulative secondary school grade point average of 3.3 (on a scale of 4.0) or have a General Equivalency Diploma.
• The applicant is enrolling at an accredited university or college that is located in the U.S. for the first time (an exception is given to students who are pursuing a secondary school diploma simultaneously).
• The applicant needs to show he has leadership abilities by participating in extracurricular, community service, or additional activities.
• Applicants are required to meet the eligibility criteria for the Federal Pell Grant.
• Each applicant has to complete and submit all the required forms, which include the application, Nominator form evaluating the academic record of the student and the Recommender Form detailing the leadership and community service activities of the student before the deadline.

Students are encouraged to apply for the GMS award without delay because the application process is extremely competitive. To estimate eligibility, students can visit www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov and use the FAFSA tool.

Completed application should be mailed to:

Gates Millennium Scholars
Post Office Box 1434
Alexandria, Virginia 22313

To Call: (877) 690-4677 Toll Free

Applicants are required to fill out the FAFSA to be considered for this scholarship. To fill out an online application, visit www.fafsa.ed.gov.

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