Native American Scholarship Fund Scholarships

The Native American Leadership Education program (NALE) is for Native students who are paraprofessionals in Indian schools, and who plan to complete their degree in education, counseling, or school administration. Since only 7% of teachers in reservation schools are Indians, the need for more Indian teachers is huge.

The Tribal Business Management program (TBM) is for students in business, finance, management, economics, banking, hotel management, and related fields who plan to work in economic development for tribes.

Scholarship Requirements

* Students must be 1/4 or more degree American Indian, and be an enrolled member of a U. S. tribe. “U. S. tribe” is defined as federally recognized, state recognized, or terminated.

* Students must be attending or planning on attending a college or university within the U. S. on a full-time basis that is fully accredited. Study must be at the college level, and can range from bachelor’s degrees to postdoctoral study. Applicants must have excellent grades, high ACT or SAT scores, some work experience, a track record of leadership, and a strong commitment to their Indian community.

* Students applying to any of these three programs are required to apply for all other sources of funds, write a comprehensive essay about themselves and their plans, and provide proof of high school completion, college admission, and tribal enrollment. “All other sources” includes federal financial aid, tribal scholarships, private scholarships, loans, and grants. The search for scholarships must be exhaustive, using the Internet, printed scholarship directories, and identification of scholarships in the student’s local community.