Scholarship Help:
Over my 7 years of applying for scholarships and aid, I have received enough to go to undergraduate and graduate school for basically free. Over this time I have learned how to not only apply for scholarships, but how to manage my ability to keep up with deadlines, recommendation letters, and learned how to not get overwhelmed by the process. The scholarship tracking sheet below can be used to help track scholarships due dates and help prioritize applications. The "About me cheat sheet" is a word document you or your students can fill out as a reference when applying to scholarships or colleges. It should be a master list of volunteer oppurtunities, jobs, their respective dates and hours, awards, classes, and test scores. This cheat sheet can be used to copy and paste readily asked for information so that faituge can be minimized. If you would like me to do give a workshop to a group or class on applying for scholarships/ colleges please click on the "Contact" tab and fill out the form. I need at least three weeks notice ahead of time.
Scholarship Tracking Sheet
About Me Cheat Sheet
VIDEO: Basics of Applying to Scholarships
Where to Start Looking?
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Check your tribe’s education department
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Check your university
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Apply to the FASA early
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Check for a state-specific scholarship for Native students
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Check your Campus Native Center// Cultural Center and other organizations such as LSAMP and SACNAS that may be on campus.
American Indian Education Fund: Offers undergraduate and graduate scholarships. Go to “additional scholarships” and about 25 more scholarships will show up.
http://www.nativepartnership.org/ or https://collegefund.org/
American Indian Graduate Center: Offers more than 20 scholarships and fellowships that fund undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees.
Catching the Dream: A 501c non-profit organization chartered in 1986, specializing in Native American scholarships
https://www.catchingthedream.org/
Cobell Scholarship Application: Also includes AISES scholarships.
Horatio Alger Scholarship Program: Specifically assist high school students who have faced and overcome great obstacles in their young lives.
https://scholars.horatioalger.org/scholarships/
Intertribal Timber Council
https://www.itcnet.org/about_us/scholarships.html
The Gates Scholarship: The Gates Scholarship is a highly selective, last-dollar scholarship for outstanding, minority, high school seniors from low-income households. Each year, the scholarship is awarded to 300 of these student leaders, with the intent of helping them realize their maximum potential. For high school seniors.
https://www.thegatesscholarship.org/scholarship
The National Indian Education Association: Advances comprehensive, culture-based educational opportunities for American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians.
Getting Started:
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You do not need to have saved the world and completed a thousand amazing things yet
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Building confidence:
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You deserve this
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The schools and organizations are lucky to have you
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Recognizing imposter syndrome
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Just do it
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Draft I > Read over and re-write > Draft II > Friend, peer, teacher check > Rewire > Final Draft
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Create a specific folder & save the essays
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Resume, transcripts, ACT, SAT, GRE scores, 1-page resume, About me cheat sheet
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Recommendation Letter Tips:
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Ask in an email so there is a record.
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Give recommenders about a month and a week notice ahead of time.
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Give them the date you plan to turn in the application, not the due date.
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Check in a week before the deadline.
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If they do not respond in a week to your request, ask your backup.
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Offer to write a draft for them.
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Always say “thank you”