American Indian Services Scholarships

The AIS Scholarship program is to help undergraduate Native American/Alaska Native students with financial support to attend a college or university, maintain enrollment, and graduate. Scholarship Awards are based on need for the term the student is applying for and are allocated directly to the school for the student. Students will need to have their own email account in order to apply.

​GUIDELINES​

• Read our requirements to ensure that you are eligible to apply
• Create an account or login to complete the online application
• Upload all required documents and SUBMIT the application by the specified deadline
• If awarded, submit a thank you letter (link will be provided through email)
• Login to view your application

​TIPS

• Follow American Indian Services on Facebook or Instagram for program updates
• Use a personal email address to create an account instead of a school account in case you change schools and get locked out.
• Be sure to mark emails from Smarter Select in your safe senders list.

​Incomplete applications will not be processed. Late documents or applications will not be accepted. Please do not contact our office regarding the status of your application. Notification emails will go out during the month of the award name. September Award notification will go out in September, and January Award notifications will go out in January to the email you signed up with. Your application status online will also be updated. Students will be required to write a thank you letter if approved, which needs to be submitted by the specified deadline. Scholarship awards will be sent to the school after receipt of thank you letters.

Requirements

• Enrolled or will enroll (as a matriculated student) in an accredited university, college, or junior college located in the United States (incoming freshman accepted).
• ​School of choice MUST be an accredited school. Check the accreditation status with your school. (If your school is not accredited by any of the accreditation agencies, it is not eligible.)
• ​An enrolled member of a U.S. Federally Recognized American Indian or Alaska Native Tribe/Entity or a direct descendant of a base roll member. (Contact your tribe or the BIA to find out how to apply for enrollment, and/or apply for a Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood).
• ​Undergraduate student with no more than 150-semester credits or 210 quarter credits. First bachelor’s degree only, graduate studies NOT eligible.
• ​​Full-time or part-time status excluding non-credit courses, taking a minimum of 6 credits per term.
• ​Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.25 must be established and maintained after the first semester/quarter of college.
• ​Completed The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Required Documents

ALL required documents need to be uploaded to the student’s application and are due by the deadline. We are no longer accepting emailed, faxed, or hard copy documents. Late documents/applications will not be accepted. Be sure to request your documents early to avoid missing the deadline.

• ​Photo of the Applicant: Needs to be a recent photo of the student ONLY. It does not have to be professional, but old, tattered, blurry, filtered photos or a copy of your ID will NOT be accepted. The photo will be sent to potential donors who may fund your scholarship and/or used for marketing purposes. Go here for tips on how to take a great applicant photo.
• ​Proof of Heritage: Proof of Heritage must show that you are either an enrolled member of a Federally Recognized Tribe, or if you are not enrolled but are a descendant of a base roll member.  If you are not enrolled but are a descendant, you will need to show proof of enrollment and relation. Ask your tribal enrollment office for a statement or you can apply for a Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood from the BIA. Visit here to find out how to contact your tribe, apply for enrollment, and/or apply for a Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood.
• ​Essay: The essay will need to be a separate document that you will upload. What’s included:
  • Tell us about yourself - Introduce yourself, include where you are from and/or something special about where you grew up, experiences with your tribe or how it has influenced you, the challenges you've had to overcome to get you where you are today, what you are studying and why, where you see yourself after graduation and how this scholarship will help you. You do not have to limit your essay to the above, but it does need to be at least one-page in length, 12-point font, and double-spaced.
• Statement of Fees/Cost of Attendance: The statement will need to show your school, your name, and the total cost of attendance and financial aid for the term and year you are applying for. Students are able to select on their application to have it submitted by themselves or the school. Below are sample templates the school may use, or they may create their own:
  • Letter of the estimated cost of attendance should state the student's name, the term they are applying for (preferably with the start date), and the estimated cost of tuition for however many credits they plan to take for that term.
  • Financial Needs Analysis (FNA) form in place of a tuition statement. FNA’s for organizations other than the school and AIS will not be accepted.​
• ​Current Transcript (can be unofficial) DO NOT WAIT for final grades to be posted and submit the most current transcript as of today. You don't need to pay for an official transcript. You can submit an unofficial transcript. High school or GED transcripts are acceptable for incoming freshmen in their first two terms ONLY.
• ​Thank You Letter (only required if your application is approved). Click here for tips on how to write a thank you letter.

Deadlines

We have updated our award deadlines. We now only have 2 awards for the Fall and Winter/Spring semester. Be sure to apply for the deadline that corresponds with your school's academic calendar.​

For the Fall semester

September Award | Application Opens: May 1 | Deadline: July 1

For the Winter/Spring semester

January Award | Application Opens: September 1 | Deadline: November 1