It is a horrible fact that the Native Americans are consistently under-represented in higher education due to poverty and lack of facilities. Only 17% of the Native Americans enroll in college after high school due to unsuitable conditions for continuing study.
However, the US government has been very serious about educating Native Americans for the past few years. It is providing many different scholarships and funding to Native American and Alaskan students nowadays to pursue a college education. Nevertheless, these opportunities are only available to people living in specific demographics.
Keep reading the article, and we will tell you about different scholarships for Native Americans. We will also cover the eligibility criteria for each scholarship and the benefits of each program. Therefore, we recommend you read the article till the end to find the best scholarship to support yourself financially.
Seven funding programs for Native Americans
Association on American Indian Affairs (AAIA) Scholarships
The association of Indian American affairs has been providing scholarships to undergraduate and graduate Native American and Alaskan students since 1947.
This scholarship is open for any member of a tribal nation—whether the federal government recognizes the tribe or not. In return, the scholarship-holding student should maintain at least a 2.5 GPA.
American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) Scholarships
AAAE offers many scholarships for Accredited Airport Executives and their family members in Native America.
If you want to apply for this program, your parent/guardian must be an active AAE or AAAE regional chapter member. Further, you should be junior or senior in college or a graduate student enrolled in an Aviation program in any accredited 2-years or four years program in the US or Canada.
American Indian Education Fund (AIEF) Scholarships
The AIEF is one of the largest charities, supporting the Native Americans and Alaskan Natives for 31 years. It offers 200+ scholarships to Native American students at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and each scholarship has a worth of $2000.
It also funds various academic and support programs across 35 accredited colleges and universities for Native Americans.
American Indian Services (AIS) Scholarship
This organization provides thousands of scholarships to Native American students enrolled in the college. The only limitation is that you must be a federally recognized Native tribe member to qualify for this scholarship. Further, you must complete the FAFSA and maintain a 2.25+ GPA in any case.
American Bus Association (ABA) Diversity Scholarship
This scholarship is designed for students in under-represented areas, whose parents/guardians are currently working in the management or operation of the transportation and tourism industry.
You have to write 500 words essays describing that you will play a role in the advancement of transportation, travel, and tourism. They will select you for the scholarship based on your previous academic performance, financial needs, and interest in the transport industry.
➡LEARN MORE: Scholarships for Non-traditional Students
Architects Foundation Diversity Advancement Scholarship
If you are a Native American student who loves architecture and wants to opt for this subject as your major, you should apply for this scholarship program. Architecture foundation will provide you a multi-year scholarship of up to $20,000.
You must be a high school student planning to enroll in a NAAB accredited institution or a 2nd-year student in a NAAB accredited college to get this scholarship.
Full Circle Scholarship Programs
This scholarship aims to support American Indians and Alaska Native undergraduate students seeking technical degrees in tribal colleges and other non-profit accredited schools. You must be enrolled full-time with at least a 2.0-grade point average to gain this scholarship.
Final words
To provide education facilities to Native Americans and Alaskan Natives, several governments and private organizations offer scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students that you can see above in the article.