November is National Native American Heritage Month. It's the perfect time to pay tribute to United States students with indigenous, Native American roots.
Throughout the month, the Library of Congress, the National Archives, the Smithsonian Institution and many other notable American institutions celebrate the fundamental contributions of Native Americans.
Why November? According to the Native American Heritage Month government website, "In 1990 President George H.W. Bush approved a joint resolution in 1990 designating November 'National American Indian Heritage Month.'"
2023 festivities honoring the heritage of Indigenous Americans includes webinars, museum celebrations such as the "Blackfeet Nation Tribal Festival," and many more cultural events.
What is the appropriate term? The National Museum of the American Indian states American Indian, Indian, Native American, or Native are all correct to use. However, "American Indian or indigenous American are preferred by many Native people."
To honor Native American Heritage Month, and to recognize the value of student diversity in higher education, Fastweb is celebrating indigenous American students with the following list of scholarships to help pay for school:
Award Amount: Full-Tuition
Deadline: 12/1/23
The USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars Program is available to American Indian and Alaska Native students who are pursuing a bachelor’s degree in agriculture, food science, natural resource science, or a related academic discipline beginning at one of 35 federally recognized tribal colleges and universities and continuing at other higher education institutions. This program combines classroom study with paid work experience that leads to employment at USDA. Through this program, USDA seeks to boost the number of tribal college and university students studying and graduating in food, agriculture, natural resources, and other related fields of study, and help build the pipeline of future agricultural scientists and professionals. Selected recipients receive full tuition, employment, housing or a living stipend, employee benefits, fees, and books each year for up to four years.
Award Amount: $1,500
Deadline: 12/1/24
The Calista Scholarship Fund is available to students in good academic standing. You must be an Alaska Native shareholder or a lineal descendant of a shareholder, and have a minimum 2.0 GPA to be eligible for this award.
Award Amount: $1,000
Deadline: 11/15/24
The Triangle Native American Society Scholarship is available to American Indian students who are enrolled full - time at an institution within the University of North Carolina system. You must have a minimum 2.5 GPA and be a resident of North Carolina to be eligible for this award.
Award Amount: Varies
Deadline: 1/17/25
The Student Success Award is available to Native American students residing in New Mexico. You must be majoring in nursing to be eligible for this award. Priority is given to prelicensure nursing students.
Award Amount: Varies
Deadline: 1/31/24
The Cherokee Nation Businesses Scholarship is available to full - time students who are Cherokee Nation citizens. You must be enrolled in a professional, master’s, or upper level bachelor’s program or school with a minimum 3.0 GPA to be eligible for this award.
Award Amount: Varies
Deadline: 1/31/25
The SAA Native American Scholarships are available to Native peoples from the Americas, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Indigenous Pacific Islanders. You must be pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in archaeology to be eligible for this award.
Award Amount: $1,000
Deadline: 3/1/24
The North American Indian Department Scholarship is available to students of American Indian descent. You must provide a Tribal Registration number to be eligible for this award.
Award Amount: $7,000
Deadline: 3/4/25
The Udall Undergraduate Scholarship is available to Native American and Alaska Native students who are pursuing a career in health care or tribal public policy, and to non - Native college sophomores and juniors who are pursuing a career in environmentally related fields.
Award Amount: $5,000
Deadline: 3/15/25
The KEF Vocational Award is available to students who are Alaska Native Shareholders or Descendants of the Koniag Region. You must be enrolled in an accredited vocational or technical program and have a minimum 2.5 GPA to be eligible for this award.
Award Amount: Varies
Deadline: 5/1/25
The Ho-Chunk Nation Scholarship is available to students who are Ho-Chunk. You must be accepted at a Title IV non-profit institution of higher learning, be pursuing a progressive degree, and demonstrate financial need to be eligible for this award.
Award Amount: Varies
Deadline: 5/1/25
The Southwest Native American Foundation Scholarship is available to students who are enrolled in a high school summer program, vocational school, college/university, or graduate school. To be eligible for this award, you must be an enrolled member of a U.S. Federally Recognized American Indian or descendant of a base roll member, have Lineal descendancy from someone named on the tribe’s base roll or relationship to a tribal member who descended from someone named on the base roll, or meet other conditions such as Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood, tribal residency, or continued contact with the tribe. Selection is based on academic merit, essay submission detailing background and goals, and letters of recommendation.
Award Amount: Varies
Deadline: 6/10/25
The Friends of Hubbell Native American Scholarship is available to students who are members of the Navajo, Hopi, Acoma, Laguna, Zuni, or Southern Ute Nation. You must be currently attending a four - year college / university or graduate program and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to be eligible for this award.
Award Amount: $4,000 - $6,000
Deadline: 7/1/25
The Minnesota Indian Scholarship is available to undergraduate and graduate students residing in Minnesota. You must be one-fourth or more American Indian OR be an enrolled member or citizen of a federally-recognized American Indian tribe or Canadian First Nation to be eligible for this award.
Award Amount: $2,000
Deadline: Varies
The AISES USAA Scholarship is available to undergraduate Native American veterans. You must be pursuing a degree in a STEM field and have a minimum 3.0 GPA to be eligible for this award.
Award Amount: $2,500
Deadline: Varies
The AIS Scholarship Program is open to undergraduate students who are enrolled members of U.S. Federally Recognized American Indian or Alaska Native Tribes, or descendants of a base roll member. You must have completed no more than 150 semester credits or 210 quarter credits and have a minimum 2.25 GPA to be eligible for this award.
USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars Program
Available to: Undergraduate StudentsAward Amount: Full-Tuition
Deadline: 12/1/23
The USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars Program is available to American Indian and Alaska Native students who are pursuing a bachelor’s degree in agriculture, food science, natural resource science, or a related academic discipline beginning at one of 35 federally recognized tribal colleges and universities and continuing at other higher education institutions. This program combines classroom study with paid work experience that leads to employment at USDA. Through this program, USDA seeks to boost the number of tribal college and university students studying and graduating in food, agriculture, natural resources, and other related fields of study, and help build the pipeline of future agricultural scientists and professionals. Selected recipients receive full tuition, employment, housing or a living stipend, employee benefits, fees, and books each year for up to four years.
Calista Scholarship Fund
Available to: Undergraduate & Graduate StudentsAward Amount: $1,500
Deadline: 12/1/24
The Calista Scholarship Fund is available to students in good academic standing. You must be an Alaska Native shareholder or a lineal descendant of a shareholder, and have a minimum 2.0 GPA to be eligible for this award.
Triangle Native American Society Scholarship
Available to: Undergraduate StudentsAward Amount: $1,000
Deadline: 11/15/24
The Triangle Native American Society Scholarship is available to American Indian students who are enrolled full - time at an institution within the University of North Carolina system. You must have a minimum 2.5 GPA and be a resident of North Carolina to be eligible for this award.
Student Success Award
Available to: Undergraduate & Graduate StudentsAward Amount: Varies
Deadline: 1/17/25
The Student Success Award is available to Native American students residing in New Mexico. You must be majoring in nursing to be eligible for this award. Priority is given to prelicensure nursing students.
Cherokee Nation Businesses Scholarship
Available to: Undergraduate & Graduate StudentsAward Amount: Varies
Deadline: 1/31/24
The Cherokee Nation Businesses Scholarship is available to full - time students who are Cherokee Nation citizens. You must be enrolled in a professional, master’s, or upper level bachelor’s program or school with a minimum 3.0 GPA to be eligible for this award.
SAA Native American Scholarship
Available to: Undergraduate & Graduate StudentsAward Amount: Varies
Deadline: 1/31/25
The SAA Native American Scholarships are available to Native peoples from the Americas, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Indigenous Pacific Islanders. You must be pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in archaeology to be eligible for this award.
North American Indian Department Scholarship
Available to: Undergraduate & Graduate StudentsAward Amount: $1,000
Deadline: 3/1/24
The North American Indian Department Scholarship is available to students of American Indian descent. You must provide a Tribal Registration number to be eligible for this award.
Udall Undergraduate Scholarship
Available to: College Sophomores & JuniorsAward Amount: $7,000
Deadline: 3/4/25
The Udall Undergraduate Scholarship is available to Native American and Alaska Native students who are pursuing a career in health care or tribal public policy, and to non - Native college sophomores and juniors who are pursuing a career in environmentally related fields.
KEF Vocational Award
Available to: Undergraduate & Graduate StudentsAward Amount: $5,000
Deadline: 3/15/25
The KEF Vocational Award is available to students who are Alaska Native Shareholders or Descendants of the Koniag Region. You must be enrolled in an accredited vocational or technical program and have a minimum 2.5 GPA to be eligible for this award.
Ho-Chunk Nation Scholarship
Available to: Undergraduate & Graduate StudentsAward Amount: Varies
Deadline: 5/1/25
The Ho-Chunk Nation Scholarship is available to students who are Ho-Chunk. You must be accepted at a Title IV non-profit institution of higher learning, be pursuing a progressive degree, and demonstrate financial need to be eligible for this award.
Southwest Native American Foundation Scholarship
Available to: High School Seniors, Undergraduate & Graduate StudentsAward Amount: Varies
Deadline: 5/1/25
The Southwest Native American Foundation Scholarship is available to students who are enrolled in a high school summer program, vocational school, college/university, or graduate school. To be eligible for this award, you must be an enrolled member of a U.S. Federally Recognized American Indian or descendant of a base roll member, have Lineal descendancy from someone named on the tribe’s base roll or relationship to a tribal member who descended from someone named on the base roll, or meet other conditions such as Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood, tribal residency, or continued contact with the tribe. Selection is based on academic merit, essay submission detailing background and goals, and letters of recommendation.
Friends of Hubbell Native American Scholarship
Available to: Undergraduate & Graduate StudentsAward Amount: Varies
Deadline: 6/10/25
The Friends of Hubbell Native American Scholarship is available to students who are members of the Navajo, Hopi, Acoma, Laguna, Zuni, or Southern Ute Nation. You must be currently attending a four - year college / university or graduate program and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to be eligible for this award.
Minnesota Indian Scholarship
Available to: Undergraduate & Graduate StudentsAward Amount: $4,000 - $6,000
Deadline: 7/1/25
The Minnesota Indian Scholarship is available to undergraduate and graduate students residing in Minnesota. You must be one-fourth or more American Indian OR be an enrolled member or citizen of a federally-recognized American Indian tribe or Canadian First Nation to be eligible for this award.
AISES USAA Scholarship
Available to: Undergraduate StudentsAward Amount: $2,000
Deadline: Varies
The AISES USAA Scholarship is available to undergraduate Native American veterans. You must be pursuing a degree in a STEM field and have a minimum 3.0 GPA to be eligible for this award.
AIS Scholarship Program
Available to: College Undergraduate StudentsAward Amount: $2,500
Deadline: Varies
The AIS Scholarship Program is open to undergraduate students who are enrolled members of U.S. Federally Recognized American Indian or Alaska Native Tribes, or descendants of a base roll member. You must have completed no more than 150 semester credits or 210 quarter credits and have a minimum 2.25 GPA to be eligible for this award.
You Might Also Like
Shawna Newman
Managing Editor, Contributing Writer
Shawna Newman is the Managing Editor and a writer at Fastweb. She has over 10 years of experience in higher education. Her direct work with college admissions teams, financial aid officers, college deans, ...
