Native Forward Scholars Fund defines U.S. accredited institutions as schools recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education or the Council for Higher Education. Native Forward Scholars Fund is only available to students who attend U.S. accredited institutions as defined by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education.

Native Forward awards are allocated based on the financial aid information provided by the institution’s Financial Aid Office. Awards can vary, ranging from $100 to $30,000 per academic year.

Native Forward Scholars Fund members of federally and state-recognized Tribes as well as first and second-generation descendants. However, Native Forward Scholars Fund scholarship opportunities have different Tribal eligibility requirements and can be determined by submitting a Tribal Eligibility Certificate.

If you know the Tribe with which you are affiliated, you can contact their Tribal Enrollment Office for more information on community enrollment. If you do not know your Tribal affiliation, visit Tracing American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Ancestry for more information.

Native Forward Scholars Fund uses an online application system to submit required documents. Due to a high volume of incoming documents, Native Forward Scholars Fund requests applicants to check the status of files and submitted documents through our online portal. Please be sure to keep all personal and institutional information updated in case we need to contact you.

Native Forward Scholars Fund offers more than 30 scholarships and fellowships that fund undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree-seeking students. Please review each page for full program information, eligibility, and application requirements.

Due to limited funding resources and a six-month open application period, Native Forward Scholars Fund does not accommodate late submissions unless students have experienced extenuating circumstances.

Students facing circumstances beyond their control which occurred during the application period, such as personal injury, illness, death of an immediate family member or legal guardian, or other documented circumstances that were unexpected in nature, are eligible to submit an appeal.

Please request an appeal form and provide supporting documentation and a statement explaining your extenuating circumstance(s).

We fund American Indians and Alaska Natives who are enrolled in U.S. federally recognized Tribes or state-recognized Tribes. Individuals who can verify descendants of American Indian or Alaska Native lineage from Tribes are also eligible for funding through Native Forward Scholars Fund.

Applications open in January each year with deadlines varying by opportunity.

Native Forward Scholars Fund offers more than 30 scholarships and fellowships that fund undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree-seeking students. Please review each page for full program information, eligibility, and application requirements.

A completed scholarship application includes the following:

• Completed Native Forward Personal Profile.
• Tribal Eligibility Certificate (TEC) completed by the Tribal Enrollment Office.
• Financial Needs Form (FNF) completed by the institution’s Financial Aid Office.
• Applicant’s most-recent academic transcript, essay(s) (specific to each scholarship), one academic reference, and one community/leadership reference.

If a student has been awarded funds, Native Forward Scholars Fund can send an interim award notification to the school’s Financial Aid Office requesting tuition and fees be deferred until scholarship awards can be disbursed.

To request an interim award notification, contact fellowships@NativeForward.org.

Students should also make sure they have a complete file with Native Forward Scholars Fund and their institution. If for some reason, their file is incomplete, Native Forward Scholars Fund and the school’s Financial Aid Office will not be able to make the necessary awards.

To remain eligible for Native Forward Scholars Fund funding, students are required to maintain full-time enrollment at a U.S. accredited institution.

If you fail a class or drop below full-time status, notify Native Forward Scholars Fund immediately. To be eligible for funding, students must be in satisfactory standing as defined by their institution.

Transcripts are required after each term, and students with cumulative GPAs below 3.0 will be identified and encouraged to seek support and assistance from Native Forward Scholars Fund’s Back on Track services and campus resources.

Native Forward Scholars Fund does not fund a second degree at the same degree level once the first degree is conferred.

Native Forward Scholars Fund’s policy about stacking scholarships is that students are prohibited from stacking Native Forward Scholars Fund federally funded program awards. In this case, Native Forward Scholars Fund would only allow students to accept ONE Native Forward federally funded award offer which includes the Science Post-Graduate Scholarship Fund (SPGSF), Loan for Service Program (LFS), and the Special Higher Education Program (SHEP).

However, Native Forward Scholars Fund does allow students to stack pooled or endowed scholarships to help students lower the amount they need to pay for college. For example, a student can accept an award offer from Native Forward Scholars Fund BIE-Science Post-Graduate Scholarship Fund and accept another offer from Native Forward Wells Fargo Undergraduate Scholarship Fund to cover a student’s remaining unmet needs.

Winning several sources of scholarships is a great solution to affording college. Students are encouraged to apply for as many Native Forward Scholars Fund scholarships as possible. What’s important is that Native Forward Scholars Fund will not award a student over their unmet need.