Indian Affairs Grant - Alabama Commission on Higher Education

Alabama Indian Affairs Commission Scholarship

READ CAREFULLY - Criteria for Applying:
1. Must attach a copy of Tribal Roll Card.

2. Must be signed by Tribal Official as designated by the Tribal Chief.

3. Must be enrolled in a state or federally recognized Indian tribe for three (3) years and meet your tribe's internal qualifications. (Some tribes have additional requirements. Please contact your tribal official to make sure you know them).

4. Must live and attend school in Alabama, unless subject is not taught in Alabama or the program student is wanting to participate in has no open slots, i.e. Nursing, Medical, Veterinary, and Pharmacy (other to be evaluated by the Executive Director's office).

5. Must enclose a letter of acceptance from the school you will attend (new students only), or a transcript (return students) with name of the University or school on the transcript showing you were enrolled the last semester before this application.

6. Any applicant who receives an incomplete, failure, or is placed on academic probation or suspension may not receive an AIAC scholarship in the next calendar year.

7. If you are a member of a federally recognized tribe, you must have a letter from your tribal office stating that you have not received a tribal scholarship.

8. If your application comes to this office and is incomplete or illegible, it will be mailed back to you and will not be receipted as received until it is complete and returned to this office.

Last 4 digits of your SSN(Required)

Choose Your State(Required)

Tribe Name

Cher-O-Creek Intertribal Indians (Cherokees of SE Alabama)

Cherokees of N.E. Alabama

Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama

MaChis Lower Creek Indian Tribe

MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians

Piqua Shawnee Tribe

Southeastern Mvskoke Nation, Inc. (Star Clan of Muscogee Creeks)

United Cherokee Ani-Yun-Wiya Nation

Poarch Band of Creek Indians (also federally recognized)

Name(Required)

First Middle Last

Address:(Required)

Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country

Phone(Required)

Email(Required)

I certify that all information stated above is true and correct.

CAPTCHA

If you have any questions, please call (334)-240-0998.

Access to higher education for American Indians is significantly lower compared to the general population, with a much smaller percentage of Native Americans earning bachelor’s degrees, largely due to factors like socioeconomic disparities, cultural barriers, and limited access to culturally relevant education, particularly at institutions outside of Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) which are specifically designed to support Native students.

Low Participation Rate:

Only about 15-16% of Native Americans aged 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, a rate below the national average.

Cultural Barriers:
Navigating a predominantly non-Native academic environment can be challenging, especially when considering cultural differences and perspectives.

Financial Constraints:
Many Native American communities face economic disadvantages, limiting access to higher education due to tuition costs

For further details or to apply, visit the official Alabama Indian Affairs Commission website.