Navigating Scholarships for Alaska Natives: Eligibility and Opportunities

Securing financial aid is a crucial step in pursuing higher education. For Alaska Natives and Native Americans, a variety of scholarships and grants are available to help make college dreams a reality. However, understanding the eligibility requirements for these programs is essential. This article provides a comprehensive overview of scholarship opportunities for Alaska Natives and Native Americans, focusing on eligibility criteria and key resources.

Determining Eligibility: Tribal Enrollment and Blood Quantum

Many scholarships for Native American students require proof of tribal affiliation. To be eligible for many Native American scholarships, such as BIA scholarships, the student should be an enrolled member of a federally recognized tribe. Funding will most likely be denied otherwise. A Certificate of Indian Blood (CIB) card or document is generally accepted proof of membership in a federally recognized tribe.

For the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) scholarships, students who are more than 1/4 Indian blood should be eligible.It's important to check the specific requirements of each scholarship, as some may have stricter criteria than others.

Specific Provisions for Native Americans Born in Canada

Native American students with at least 50% Indian blood who were born in Canada have specific provisions under US law. They are eligible for Title IV federal student aid under the jurisdiction of the Jay Treaty of 1794, subsequent treaties, and US Immigration Law. They are not required to obtain documentation from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).Such students should report on the FAFSA that they are “eligible non-citizens” and leave the question about the Alien Registration Number blank. They will then be required to provide the financial aid administrator at the school they attend with proof that they have 50% Native American blood and were born in Canada.

Acceptable documentation includes:

Read also: Camp Scholarships Guide

A “band card” issued by the Band Council of a Canadian Reserve, or by the Department of Indian Affairs in Ottawa.
Birth or baptism records.
An affidavit from a tribal official or other person knowledgeable about the applicant’s or recipient’s family history.
Identification from a recognized Native America provincial or territorial organization.

Key Scholarship Resources

Several organizations and government entities offer scholarships and financial aid specifically for Native American students. Some of the most important resources include:

US Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)

Students who are more than 1/4 Indian blood should be eligible for Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) scholarships. BIA/OIEP funds may only be awarded to a person who is a member of a federally recognized Native American tribe. Native American students must apply for a BIA/OIEP Indian Education Grant through their tribe, home agency, or area office of Indian Education. Check with your local BIA office for applications, eligibility and deadlines. The phone number for the California, Arizona, and Nevada BIA office is 1-702-887-3515. The school’s financial aid administrator must send a needs assessment to the director of the Higher Education program of the tribe, so the students have to file the FAFSA. Based on this need analysis, the student may be awarded “Higher Ed” grants. Awards typically range from $500 to $4,000 per year. BIA/OIEP funds 26 institutions, including two it operates directly, Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas, and Southwest Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The other 24 institutions are tribally-controlled community colleges represented by the American Indian Higher Education Consortium of Alexandria, Virginia. BIA/OIEP also provides funding to students through a contract with the American Indian Graduate Center in Albuquerque. All fields of study are given consideration with priority to Business, Engineering, Health, Law and Natural Resources. For general information about the Indian Higher Education Grants for undergraduate and graduate students, call or write to US Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Education, at 202-208-6123 or 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20240-0001.

American Indian College Fund

The American Indian College Fund also provides financial support to the nation’s 33 accredited tribal colleges and universities. The American Indian College Fund provides scholarships to American Indian and Alaska Native college students who are enrolled in certificate, undergraduate, or graduate programs at tribal colleges and universities, or nonprofit, accredited schools. Applicants only need to submit one application every year to be considered. Award amounts vary but average between $2,000 to $3,000. High school students should apply in the last semester of their senior year. Students attending TCUs are eligible for all the different merit-based scholarship programs we offer. We encourage TCU students to complete their application by May 31st to receive priority review.

Indian Health Service (IHS) Scholarship Program

The IHS web site provides information about the IHS Scholarship Program and the IHS Loan Repayment Program. The IHSSP Indian Health Service Scholarship provides full tuition and fees, books, uniforms, equipment, travel, insurance, national board exams, travel for clinical training, and a stipend for students majoring in health professions, engineering, and accounting.

Tribal Scholarships

Some tribes have scholarships for their members, although the awards are usually for very small amounts. Very often if a student does not qualify for a BIA/OIEP grant, the tribe will award a “tribal” scholarship. Each tribe handles its own funding differently, with different award amounts and deadlines, so it is best to contact the tribe directly.

Read also: Benefits of NSHSS Scholarships

Colleges and Universities

Many schools offer free tuition, room and board to Native American students, especially full-blooded Native American students. Be sure to ask each school you are considering what incentives they offer to encourage Native American students to enroll. There may also be special awards for students minoring in Native American studies. For example, Native American students who attend any state school in Montana will qualify for a fee waiver if they are Montana residents, at least 1/4 Indian blood quantum, and have financial need. The fee waiver includes tuition and a $30 administrative fee, but not approximately $235 in other fees.

Daughters of the American Revolution American Indian Scholarship Fund

The Daughters of the American Revolution American Indian Scholarship Fund typically awards $500 scholarships to Native American students all across the country. Deadlines are August 1 for the fall and November 1 for the spring.

Additional Resources and Programs

Fastweb: The Fastweb scholarship search lists many awards for Native American or Native Alaskan students, and hundreds of awards for minority students. FASTWEB provides access to over 1.5 million scholarships.
All Nations AMP: The goal of the All Nations Alliance for Minority Participation (AMP) in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics is to double the number of Native Americans graduating with Bachelor degrees in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology by the year 1999.
American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) and American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES): AISES has long been the front-runner in Native American education and issues. Other AISES web pages include the AISES Scholarship Programs page.
Indian Resource Development (IRD): New Mexico State University’s IRD publishes a booklet entitled Sources of Financial Aid Available to American Indian Students. The booklet is free to New Mexico students and $4 for students from other states.
Department of Labor One-Stop: One-Stop is a one-stop scholarship, career exploration, training & jobs site.
Foster Care to Success: Find out more and apply: Foster Care to Success (for students with experience in foster care seeking forms of higher education).
P.E.O.: Offers: P.E.O. Educational Loan Fund, P.E.O. Program for Continuing Education, P.E.O. Scholar Awards, P.E.O. P.E.O. or Canadian citizens or legal permanent residents.

Avoiding Scams

Be wary of scholarship service companies that ask for personal information such as social security numbers or bank numbers, as they may be seeking to mine valuable data from students.

Read also: Scholarship Guide

tags: #scholarships #for #alaska #natives #eligibility #requirements