Native American scholarships?

How to Get Native American Scholarships

• Answer:

  College tuition has gone through the roof, and if you are a student, you'll probably welcome any help in funding your education. If you are a Native American wishing to attend college, you have many opportunities for gaining financial support. Knowing how to search for these scholarships and apply for them will bring you closer to being able to affording higher education. Difficulty: Moderately Easy Instructions Find out if you are eligible for a Native American scholarship. The usual requirement is that you be at least one-quarter Native American. For most scholarships, you must also be an enrolled member of a federally recognized tribe. You may use your Certificate of Indian Blood card for proof of membership. Join a tribe if you have the eligible blood requirement and you are not already part of one. All you have to do is take your genealogical information to the tribe to which you are related and apply for membership. With a full membership, you will gain access to more scholarships. Even if you are trying to gain access to a tribe that is not federally recognized, more scholarship opportunities will be open to you if you have a tribe membership. (See Resource 1) Start researching federally funded scholarships through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The BIA offers the most funding to Native American students in the country. Visit your local BIA office for information on applications, deadlines and eligibility. Apply to the scholarships through your tribe, BIA office or the Office of Indian Education in your area. They will offer you sound advice and give you proof of tribal embership. Apply to the tribe for funding if you do not get a BIA scholarship. Most often, when students are not awarded a federal scholarship, they can apply to the tribe and obtain some funding for school. Check out other options. States that have a lot of Native American territory within their borders often have extra funding for students. Also look into corporations and organizations that offer scholarships to students who are really in need. There are specific scholarships available to students majoring in science, math or engineering.