Scholarships

AAIA has a long history of providing scholarships to college students, awarding our first scholarship in 1948. We currently have eight scholarship programs for graduate and undergraduate students. Funding is made available due to the generosity of our donors, therefore the number of scholarships provided varies from year to year.

Scholarship details for the 2010-2011 school year will be posted at the end of February. Please check back at that time.

Emergency Aid

As of January 27, 2010 emergency aid funding has been temporarily depleted. Please check back in about 2 weeks to check the status of funding availability.

Limited funding for emergency aid is available for spring 2010. Please see the link to the right and call our Rockville office to verify that funding is available and that your situation qualifies as an emergency.

General Information

Applicants must be full time students attending an accredited school.

Applicants must be from tribes from the continental US or Alaska only. (Possible exceptions for some Canadian boarder tribes - call for more info.)

Send one application package only. You will be considered for all scholarships for which you are eligible.

Please do not staple individual items.

Send only the information requested. Additional information will not be considered and may hinder review of your application.

Students are eligible to receive one scholarship per year.

We do not fund certificate programs or seminary.

We do not fund summer session.

Funding is for both fall and spring semesters. We do not fund semesters separately. If you are a December graduate you are not eligible to apply. If you are attending spring semester only you are not eligible to apply.

Keep a copy of your application package for reference in case we have questions.

Documents cannot be returned (do not send original CIB or tribal enrollment).

Please do not call or e-mail the office to verify receipt. (You can send packages through the post office with delivery confirmation for about 65 cents if you send the package priority mail, which costs $4.95.) Please do not send via certified mail or registered mail.

Students who make the final cut after review of all applications will be requested to provide a financial needs analysis, financial aid award letter and class schedule. Final decisions about scholarship awards will be made after review of this information. Request for this information does not guarantee receipt of award.

If you are selected you will be notified by mail. Grantees will also be posted on the website. Due to the number of applications received we do not send regret letters.

Application Check Sheet Explained:

All items listed must be included in your application package otherwise it will not be considered.

Application Form
Certificate of Indian Blood showing at least ¼ Indian blood. (See notes for Slagle Scholarship).
Proof of Tribal Enrollment - (Or) in the case of Alaska tribes only, if proof of tribal enrollment is available, that is preferred. If not, Alaska Native Corporate documents are acceptable.
Student Essay - Must include educational & post graduate goals as well as life experiences. Also include academic, military, tribal/cultural, faith and other information as applicable. Essays must be one to three page in length, 12 point Times New Roman or Arial, 1/2 inch margins, double or 1 1/2 space. Essays completed in other formats will not be considered.
Two Letters of Recommendation - Letters do not have to be confidential or in sealed envelopes. Letters should be from employers, professors, ministers, teachers, coaches, etc. Letters from family or friends are not acceptable. Letters should be on letterhead if applicable. All letters must include printed contact information and relation to applicant.
Complete Transcripts - Transcripts do not have to be official. Copies of official transcripts are acceptable. Transcripts from your online account must include all pertinent information - student name, name of school, name of class, semester, # of credits for each class, grades... Include an explanation of altenate grading codes such as "X" or "Z" as well as an explanation of any Incompletes or lapse in time. Students who have transferred need to provide letter grades along with the transfer. At least 2 complete years of transcripts are required. A copy of your GED may suffice as your transcript as applicable. It is preferred that transcripts are not in sealed envelopes.
Class Schedule - A class schedule will be requested from students who make the final cut after review of all applications.
Full Time Enrollment for Graduate Students - Graduate students must provide a letter from the registrars office or a print out from your school's website or course catalogue stating how many credits is considered full time as many grad schools differ in the number of hours considered full time. Please highlight or circle this information.
Undergraduate Class Standing - (for example, 0-30 FR, 31-60 SOPH, 61-90 JR, 91+ SR) Undergraduate students must provide a letter from the registrars office or a print out from your school's website or course catalogue stating how many credits is considered a FR, SOPH, JR and SR. Please highlight or circle this information.
Displaced Homemaker Applicants - Students are considered for all scholarships they are eligible for. If you feel you qualify for the displaced homemaker, please include a short essay of your family responsibilities and monthly budget in addition to the basic requirements.
Emergency Aid Applicants - Emergency aid is not considered at the beginning of the year with the regular scholarships. This scholarship is available during the regular school year. A short explanation of your emergency situation and proof of need are required in addition to the basic requirements. Awards are granted based on availability of funds.
A Financial Aid Award Letter and Financial Needs Analysis will be requested from students who make the final cut after review of all applications. Final selections will be made upon review of the requested financial documents. Request for this information does not guarantee receipt of award.

If You Are Selected:

You will be notified by mail and grantees will be posted on the website.

A release of information form for promotional and reporting purposes will be sent with your notification letter. A short thank you note and photo that can be shared with our donors and members is also requested.

Your check will be sent directly to your school.

Spring disbursements are made upon proof of satisfactory progress and full time spring enrollment.

If a situation arises during the semester which would affect your eligibility for continuation of your scholarship (illness causing you to miss significant amounts of class time, dropping a class, falling below full time, failing grades, a grade of Incomplete), contact Lisa Wyzlic immediately. If we are not aware of the situation there is a possibility your scholarship may be discontinued.

Follow Up:

We are often asked what happens to our scholarship recipients - If you are a Senior or Graduate student and receive an AAIA scholarship and would be willing to share your success story in the future (a few years or more after you graduate), please contact Lisa Wyzlic at our Rockville office.

Application Packages Can Be Mailed To:

Lisa Wyzlic, Director of Scholarship Programs
Association on American Indian Affairs
966 Hungerford Drive, Suite 12-B
Rockville, MD 20850

Acceptance Period:

2010 Acceptance Period To Be Determined. Please check back at the end of February 2010.

Applications received outside of the acceptance period will not be considered.

Questions May Be Directed To:

Lisa Wyzlic at lw.aaia@verizon.net or 240-314-7155

Please note we are in the Eastern Time Zone so it may be easier to
e-mail your questions.

Additional Financial Aid Links:

New Scholarship Database available to Choctaw Students
A new scholarship database is available to Choctaw students and their parents. Students and parents must enroll in the program in order to gain access to the database. See www.choctawnation-sap.com. Contact scholarshipdatabase@choctawnation.com once enrolled for further instructions.

National Institutes of Health Undergraduate Scholarship
Open to students pursuing a degree in the biomedical, behavior medicine and social science fields. Deadline February 28, 2010. www.nih.gov

American Chemical Society Minority Scholarship - Deadline March 1, 2010. See
www.acs.org/scholarships or call 1-800-227-5558. E-Mail: scholars@acs.org

http://www.finaidfacts.org/scholarships.htm

Society for American Archaeology Undergraduate and Graduate Archaeology Scholarships & the SAA Arthur C. Parker Scholarships & NSF Scholarships for Archaeological Training - Deadline December 15, 2009. SAA Arthur C. Parker Scholarship & NSF Scholarships for Archeological Training - call 202-789-8200 or e-mail info@saa.org

projectworkingmom.com
working moms scholarships

myfreedegree.com
working moms scholarships

WashingtonPost.com
working moms scholarships

edu.programadvisor.com/scholarships.
working moms scholarships

courseadvisor.com
working moms scholarships

guaranteedscholarships.com

salliemae.com

collegenet.com

collegescholarships.com

www.kaarme.com
Search Engine

www.pcusa.org
Financial Aid for Studies - Presbyterian Leadership - Seminary Funding

www.thefund.org
Fund for Theological Education

NASA Summer Research Experience for Tribal College and University Undergraduates

Harriet G. Jenkins Predoctoral Fellowship

www.finaid.org
Search Engine

www.scholarships.com
Search Engine

Tylenol.com/scholarship
health fields

www.rspfunding.com
Resource Service Press

www.aiefprograms.org
American Indian Education Foundation

www.aigc.com
American Indian Graduate Center

www.collegefund.org
American Indian College Fund - Deadline May 31

www.aises.org
American Indian Science and Engineering Society

www.niea.org
National Indian Education Association

www.StudentLoanNetwork.com
Lists various free scholarships in addition to loans

www.indiancountry.com
Indian Country Today publishes a magazine called Education. Contact ICT for information. Concise source of information.

www.catchingthedream
Catching the Dream (Formerly the Native American Scholarship Fund) -
Deadline April 15

Native American Political Leadership Program
FULL Scholarship to Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students to George Washington University
http://www.gwu/edu/~siw/politics/naplp/index.cfm
E-Mail: siw@gwu.eud
Phone: 202-994-8908

Newhouse Graduate Newspaper Fellowship and Apprenticeship for Minorities
Contact: Newhouse School Graduate Records Office, 215 University Place, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244-2100. 315-433-4039, e-mail: pcgrad@syr.edu, fax 315-433-3946.

Harry W. (Bill) Rankin Scholarship for Native American Students at Ohio University, Athens, OH
This scholarship is not yet available. Expected timeframe is 2010-2011. Please continue to check the website. http:..www-sfa.chubb.ohiou.edu/scholar/scholar_lists.html

Jo Ellen Goddard Memorial Scholarship for Native American Students at Ohio University, Athens, OH
Open to students who have resided on a reservation established by the federal government located within the continental boundaries of the US for at least 10 years. Must be a full-time undergraduate student at the Athens campus or satellite campus. http://www-sfa.chubb.ohiou.edu/scholar/scholar_lists.html

Students Interested In Law School And Have Any Questions May Contact
Sonia K. Katyal, Associate Professor of Law
Fordham Law School
140 W. 62nd St.
New York, NY 10023
http://law.fordham.edu/ihtm/reg-2bioPP.ihtml?id=544&bid=766

Middle School and High School Financial Aid:

Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars Program
Administered through Northwestern University
Tammie Stewart, Manager Community Outreach
847-491-7127
tammie-stewart@northwestern.edu
www.jkcf.org/scholarships/young-scholars-program/

Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars Program
Administered through Johns Hopkins University, Duke University and the University of Denver
www.jkcf.org/scholarships/young-scholars-program/

Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship
http://www.educationaladvancement.org

Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth University
Native American High School Student LEAD Program.
http://leadprogram.org

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program

http://www.nsfgrfp.org/applicant_resources/other_funding_opportunties

School of Public Health Grants

Grants available to accredited Schools of Public Health from the
Health Resources and Services Administration
www.hrsa.gov/grants