The Oldest Native Scholarship Program in the Country​

Scholarship application period is CLOSED. Will re-open in 2025.
If your application is accepted, as part of your scholarship, you will receive free annual membership to the Association, and opportunities for internships, fellowships and other learning opportunities. 

Association's Scholarship Qualifications

  • Be enrolled with your respective Tribe, either federally recognized or non-federally recognized Native Nation, from the continental US or Alaska. 
  • Submit a copy of Native Nation enrollment (there is no minimum blood quantum requirement for eligibility). This can be a copy of the student's Native Nation I.D. card or a copy of an official letter from the Nation. You must be directly recognized as a citizen or member of your Tribal Nation.
  • Be enrolled as full-time student. 
  • ​Have a minimum 2.5 out of 4.0 GPA.
  • Submit a current class schedule and transcript.
  • Attend an accredited institution seeking an Associate's Degree or higher (the Association does not fund certificate programs or seminaries). 
  • Provide essays described in the application that show the student’s connection to their Native Nation and Native Country.

Association's CBIKS Scholarship Qualifications

The Association, in partnership with the University of Massachusetts at Amherst’s Center for Braiding Indigenous Knowledges and Science (CBIKS), is providing scholarship funding to connect Native undergraduate, graduate and professional students with careers working to connect Indigenous Knowledge systems and Western Science. 

The criteria is the same as the Association's main scholarship program, except the scholarship is for students enrolled in biological sciences or Native Studies:
  • Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, environmental sciences, soil sciences, glaciology, geography, geology, geophysics, hydrology, oceanography, limnology, and space sciences
  • Archaeology
  • Climate sciences: meteorology, oceanography, physics, chemistry, geochemistry, geobiology, ecology
  • Indigenous or Native Studies
  • Arts, Languages and Cultures, Theatre

​Undergrad and Grad Scholarships

The Association on American Indian Affairs has been providing Native American student scholarships since 1947 ​and provides scholarships to undergraduate and graduate Native students who are citizens of their Native Nation – whether or not their Nation is recognized by the federal government.

The Association’s scholarships are funded by an endowment from the Elizabeth and Sherman Asche Memorial Scholarship, the Homborg Scholarship and the Mary Hemenway Memorial Funds, AND DONORS LIKE YOU!

The Association's scholarships are provided to students twice per year until they graduate, as long as they maintain a 2.5 GPA and attend full-time. Our mission is to support students who are connected to their Native Nation and Native Country and wish to utilize their degree to serve their Nations.

We are proud to partner with the American Indian College Fund!

The Association on American Indian Affairs has teamed up with the American Indian College Fund to provide administration to the Association’s longstanding scholarships!

Founded by friends of the Association on American Indian Affairs in 1989, the American Indian College Fund provides Native American scholarships and supports Native higher education. The College Fund also supports a variety of academic and support programs at 35 accredited Tribal colleges and universities, which are located in Indian Country, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers.  

Former Association Scholarship Recipients

We are often asked if we ever hear from our previous scholarship recipients. If you were a previous Association scholarship recipient, please send us an update about what you are currently doing. We would love to hear from you and be able to let others know how our students are making a difference in Native Country and the world!