College scholarship deadlines for Native students impending

BY LINDSEY BARK

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LINDSEY BARK

lindsey-bark@cherokee.org  918-772-4223 Lindsey Bark grew up and resides in the Tagg Flats community in Delaware County. She graduated magna cum laude from Northeastern State University in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication, emphasizing ...

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TAHLEQUAH – Deadlines for the 2020-21 academic year are approaching for the Cherokee Nation, Cherokee Nation Foundation, federal, Cobell, American Indian College Fund and American Indian Science and Engineering Society financial aid opportunities.College Resources will take applications beginning March 1 until June 15 for undergraduate, graduate and directed studies scholarships.The undergraduate scholarship is for CN citizens seeking their first associate of arts or associate of science degrees, or working toward a bachelor’s degree. Applicants must apply for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) federal PELL grant. Those living outside the tribe’s service area must be PELL-eligible.The graduate scholarship is for CN citizens seeking their first master’s or doctorate degree. Residency restrictions apply.Applications for valedictorian and salutatorian scholarships are open March 1-31. This is a one-time scholarship for high school seniors.All CN scholarship applications and information can be found at scholarships.cherokee.org CNF offers three types of scholarships: private, tribal and institutionally based. Applications are evaluated and based on academic performance as well as community and cultural involvement.More than 20 scholarships are available, including the Bill Rabbit Legacy Art scholarship, Cherokee Nation At-Large award and Cherokee Nation Businesses scholarship.A complete list can be found at cherokeenationfoundation.org. Call 918-207-0950 for information. The deadline to apply is Jan. 31.FAFSA applications opened Oct. 1, for the 2020-21 school year. Financial aid comes from federal, state, school and private sources. The types of aid provided are grants (financial aid that does not have to be repaid), loans, or work-study (a work program to earn money to pay for school).Eligibility requirements include a demonstration for financial need, U.S. citizenship or eligible noncitizen, enrollment in an eligible degree or certificate program and maintain satisfactory academic progress.For eligibility requirements and to apply visit studentaid.ed.gov . Deadlines vary for federal, state and school funding.The Cobell Graduate Summer Research Fellowship supports American Indians and Alaska Native graduate students with a summer research stipend of $5,000 to help fund research projects. To endorse a proposal and have work supervised, student must partner with a faculty adviser. Priority is given to doctoral-level applicant and those with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Application deadline is Jan. 10The undergraduate scholarship provides up to $6,000 per academic year for students working toward a bachelor’s degree. Application deadline is March 31.The graduate scholarship provides up to $12,500 per academic year for students pursuing a master’s, doctorate or professional degree. Application deadline is March 31.Applications and information can be found at cobellscholar.org The AICF provides scholarships to American Indians and Alaska Natives seeking undergraduate and graduate degrees at tribal colleges, nonprofit and accredited schools.The Full Circle Scholarship is for U.S. citizens or Canadian-eligible students attending college in the United States enrolled in a certificate, associate, bachelor’s or graduate program at an accredited tribal, public or nonprofit college or university. Students must be enrolled full-time and in a federally or state-recognized tribe and have at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Applicants must provide a photo, proof of tribal enrollment and their most recent college or high school transcripts. Application is open Jan. 1 to May 31.The Tribal College and University administers scholarships to 35 tribal colleges and universities in the U.S. Applications open Jan 1 and Aug. 1 each year and deadlines vary per tribal college or university funds are provided toward.For applications, list of eligible schools and information, visit collegefund org AISES scholarships are aimed to help students to acquire skills and training in the science, technology, engineering and math fields.Open scholarships include Advancing Agricultural Science Opportunities for Native Americans, 3M, AISES A.T. Anderson, Chevron and the AISES Intel Growing the Legacy scholarships. Applications and information can be found at aises.org. AISES academic scholarships are open through March 31.