Native American College Grants

Because Native Americans have long been at a financial disadvantage, the U.S. government and several private benefactors offer financial aid to members of Native American tribes to help fund their college education. In fact, there are even tribal colleges that are controlled by the tribes and located on reservations to service Native Americans. This allows tribal members to preserve the language and culture of their people by integrating these elements into the curriculum.

The American Indian College Fund was launched with the primary intention of providing support to the tribal colleges with scholarships for students who qualified. Private sector funds are also available to students who attend these institutes of higher learning through the program's sister organization, the American Indian Higher Education Consortium. These finances also help to fund cultural preservation projects, capital construction, and other programs in relation to tribal colleges.

There are also other funding options open to Native Americans, especially those pursuing fields of interest where their ethnic background is underrepresented. These areas include education, medical care, mathematics, science, and technology. Those pursuing a degree in teaching or education, and who agree to teach in an area of great need for a determined period of time, may receive loan forgiveness or grants to repay loans. There are similar options for those involved in majors related to the healthcare industry.

List of Native American College Grants

• Native American Education Grants — $1500 to $2500 awarded each year to 10-125 Native American undergraduate and graduate students.


• Tyonek Native Corporation Scholarship and Grant Fund — $1000 to $1500 awarded to varied number of Alaska Native undergraduate or graduate students for any US college .

Paying for school is not easy, but we are here to help. OEDb's student finance section will help you find the money you need to pay your tuition and other college expenses. We cover scholarships, college grants, and student loans. Scholarships and grants are both forms of "free money", meaning they don't need to be paid back. Scholarships are typically awarded by businesses or individuals, with the money being earmarked specifically for tuition. They can be awarded based on a student's location or by religious affiliation, such as Catholicism or Islam. Grants are typically awarded by governments or non-profit organizations and the money often can be applied to several different expenses a student may incur, not solely tuition. They can be awarded based on location or ethnicity, for instance African American or Hispanic. Loans are not considered "free money", because unlike scholarships and grants, they do need to be paid back after graduation. Common federal loans include Perkins and Stafford. Loans are also available by location.