Natives Amercians Receive Tribal Funds and Grants to Pay for College
American Indians remain one of the largest underrepresented minority groups in the United States. With many financially disadvantaged students, the price tag of obtaining an education beyond high school is can be rather daunting. As a means to tackle financial barriers, Indian American organizations and tribal colleges make student aid available in the form of grants, scholarships and low-interest student loans.

Gift aid money for minority students, includes grant and scholarship funds specifically designed to support American Indians with paying for a college education. Financial aid opportunities for Native Americans is also available through government grants, and some aid programs including grants are funded from private and not-for-profit organizations.

To be eligible for financial assistance, Native and Indian Americans are often required to provide proof of their ethnicity or bloodline. Usually proven by presenting a Certificate of Indian Blood (CIB) and for most grant applications evidence that you belong to a federally recognized tribe.

Sources of Grants

Typically, undergraduate and graduate Native American students can apply for grants and scholarships through tribal colleges and Indian American organizations, which apply to both men and women. In addition to these financial aid programs, undergraduate students who demonstrate economic need can apply for federally administered grants such as the Pell, and state government student funding if attending an in-state college, vocational school or university.

Grants Available through American Indian Organizations

Organizations such as the Indian Health Service (IHS) and the US Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) provide resources to help Native Americans access higher education. Additionally, the American Indian College Fund (AICF) plays an important role, providing substantial amounts of monetary funding to tribal colleges for them to administer scholarship grants for students who enroll into their degree programs. Students enrolling into tribal colleges can also receive private sector funding through the American Indian Higher Education Consortium.

Grants Administered by Native and Tribal Organizations

The Blackfeet Nation Higher Education Grant provides around 140 Native American / Eskimo students who are members of the Blackfeet Tribe with college grants worth up to $3,500. Students must be pursuing an undergraduate degree on a full-time basis at a two or four-year college or university.

The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin offers two grant programs available Native American tribal members who wish to attend college.

  • The Menominee Adult Vocational Training Program Grant is available to adult men and women of the Menominee tribe who plan to attend a vocational or technical school to further their education. Grants range from $100 to $1,100; approximately 70 grants are awarded annually based on students’ financial need.
  • The Menominee Higher Education Grant Program offers renewable grants of up to $1,100 to Menominee tribal members pursuing undergraduate degrees at either a two-year or four-year college or university. Grants are available to Native American Students who are at least ¼ Menominee and show proof of Indian blood.

The Ciri Foundation offers several grant and scholarship awards to Alaska Natives who are original enrollees of Cook Inlet region and their descendants.

  • Ciri Vocational Training Grants are available to Native Alaskan students who wish to prepare for careers in specialized technical skills areas. Alaskan students can receive grants up to $4,500 per calendar year to support their educational advancement providing they already have a high school diploma or GED and maintain a 2.5 GPA whilst receiving the grant.
  • Ciri Career Upgrade Grants provide students with awards up to $4,500 per calendar year in order to train or study at a technical school, college or university to enhance their employment skills or to improve their job status. Eligibility and continuation of these grant funds are based on the same criteria as the Vocational Training Grants program.

Additional Minority Grant Programs for American Indian Students

As a minority, there a many other grant programs that American Indians can qualify to receive. For example, there are grants for subject based studies in academic fields that remain underrepresented by minority students such as education and teaching, nursing, medical, mathematics, science and technology. These study subjects attract funding from government and private sector sources to encourage minorities such as Indian Americans to enroll into academically related degrees.

Contact your schools financial aid office, tribal office, along with the resources above to find undergraduate and graduate minority college grants.