By: Cherish Golden
This blog continues our series highlighting financial aid policies and opportunities that are specific to Indigenous students. Here, we focus on 39 funding opportunities for Indigenous students in five Pacific and West Coast states: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.
In early 2025, Indigenous students will have access to our publicly-available interactive website tool to search for funding opportunities they are eligible for. For a current list of all funding opportunities we have identified, please refer to our draft dataset.
With college affordability being a main aspect of the college search, application, and selection process, especially for Indigenous students, we want students, parents, practitioners, and policymakers to pay close attention to the mechanisms (e.g., eligibility requirements and funding design) of financial aid that is being offered. By having insight into which states, systems, and institutions are committed to access and affordability, students and their families can have a more authentic and informed search process.
We found 39 financial aid opportunities in the Pacific and West Coast.
Three are funded at the state level (one in Oregon and two in Washington).
One (in California) is funded at the system level.
35 are funded at the institutional level (in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington).
State-Level Support: Oregon and Washington
Three state-level funding opportunities exist in the West, specifically the Pacific Northwest in Oregon and Washington.
Oregon
Oregon has one opportunity, Out-of-State Tribal Residency, through which students from certain tribes outside of Oregon, but with geographical and symbolic ties to the state, would be considered in-state residents by public institutions for financial aid purposes.
In recognizing the discrimination and trauma that restricted the territorial lands and physical movement of Indigenous people, Oregon is certainly striving to expand accessibility and affordability.
Students may view the federally recognized tribes that are eligible for this opportunity. Students must submit proof of tribal membership.
Washington
Washington has two opportunities—the American Indian Endowed Scholarship and the Tribal Member Residency Waiver.
The American Indian Endowed Scholarship, made possible through state law RCW 28B.108, provides financial assistance to students with ties to an American Indian community in the state. Only 10 to 15 students are selected annually. Award amounts range from $500 minimum to $2,000 maximum, with students further along in their programs and graduate students having priority.
Although students may receive the scholarship for up to five years, they must reapply every year. We worry about how these funding mechanisms might create additional barriers for students, as it’s not clear how long the application is, nor if past recipients will automatically be reselected in following years. Inconsistent funding across the postsecondary journey makes it challenging for students to plan accordingly.
The Tribal Member Residency Waiver, similar to Oregon’s Out-of-State Tribal Residency, extends in-state resident status to students of federally recognized tribes with geographic and symbolic ties to Washington. In addition to tribal enrollment, at least one year prior to enrolling at a public state university, students have to have resided in at least one of the following states: Idaho, Montana, Oregon, or Washington.
Students eligible for this opportunity pay in-state tuition and fees. A list of eligible tribes can be viewed for confirmation.
The Lone System-Level Funding Opportunity: California
Of the five states covered in this month’s blog, California is the only one to offer system-level funding for Indigenous students. The Native American Opportunity Plan, offered through The University of California (UC) System, fully covers in-state tuition and student services fees for in-state undergraduate and graduate students who are also enrolled in a federally recognized tribe. Students with greater need are eligible for funding beyond tuition.
What makes this opportunity notable is that California has three college systems: The University of California (UC), California State University (CSU), and California Community Colleges. With the state’s higher education system being one of the largest in the country and priding itself as one of the most diverse, it raises the question of why only one system-level opportunity currently exists.
This opportunity is also one of the more accessible paths to funding we’ve highlighted, as no separate application is required. Students are contacted directly from UC if deemed eligible. In addition, UC acknowledges there are over 200 tribes that are not federally recognized so students with these tribal affiliations would be excluded from this funding opportunity. These students are encouraged to seek out other opportunities, and UC offers specific advice for how to do so on their website.
Institutional-Level Funding Across the Pacific and West Coast
Each of the five states featured in this blog has one or more institutions that offer institutional-level funding opportunities. In our analysis, we’ve discovered 35 total opportunities across Alaska (1), California (15), Hawaii (9), Oregon (7), and Washington (3).
Alaska
Alaska has one institution, Alaska Pacific University, that offers a scholarship. The Indigenous Entrepreneur Scholarship From the Johnson Scholarship Foundation offers awards up to $4,000 to $6,000 to eligible students who are enrolled full-time. The scholarship amount will depend on the student’s cumulative GPA (up to $4,000 for GPAs between 2.00 to 3.40 and up to $6,000 for GPAs 3.50 and above).
What makes this particular scholarship unique and accessible is that students self-identity as Alaska Native or American Indian, removing the need to submit documentation which can be an administrative barrier. In addition, although full-time students are eligible for full award amounts, the scholarship can be awarded at prorated (i.e., partial) amounts to students enrolled less than full-time, based on the number of credit hours they have.
California
California has the most institutional-level opportunities of the states in this blog, with a staggering number of 15 across nine colleges and one district. With institutions ranging from public, 4-years (7), private not-for-profit, 4-years (1), private for-profit, 4-years (1), public, 2-years (5), and community college districts (1), there is diverse representation, allowing for a robust college search for Indigenous students who are interested in attending college in the state. We’ve selected a few opportunities to cover in-depth, and encourage readers to refer to our full list of funding opportunities to learn more about the rest.
California State University-San Bernardino currently has the San Manuel Opportunity Scholarship, made possible through a partnership with The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. This scholarship amount ranges from $300 to $4,000 and is open to both half-time and full-time undergraduate students. Students must have satisfactory academic standing as determined by the institution, a cumulative GPA of 2.50 or higher, be a resident student, and show demonstrated interest in Indigenous issues and communities. The scholarship is renewable as long as the student continues to meet requirements. One unique requirement of this scholarship is that students who receive the award must engage in at least 5 hours minimum of community service with an Indigenous organization, tribe, or attend an Indigenous event.
California State University-San Marcos has three current scholarships available for Indigenous students—the ASI American Indian in honor of Lee Dixon Scholarship, the Kelly Myer’s Tribal Justice Scholarship, and the Lillian S. Sherman Scholarship. Each of these scholarships have different considerations for selection, but all are selective, meaning they are only available to one or two students a year, and offer relatively low funding amounts ($2,500 or less). Because of the selective nature of funding, students must provide additional information like essays and letters of recommendation as academic achievements, demonstrated financial need, and service to the Indigenous community are considered for selection. We worry about the extensive steps students must take to apply for these awards with no guarantee of receiving funding.
Unfortunately, it is not clear if any of the scholarships at California State University-San Marcos are renewable. In addition, with The California State University System having 23 campuses across the state, we wonder why only two campuses offer funding opportunities. With California being a large state, an in-state student may be further away from these two campuses, or closer to ones with no Indigenous funding opportunities.
Santa Rosa Junior College, with the most Indigenous funding opportunities of any other California college, currently has five scholarships students may apply for if eligible, though information about these opportunities is not readily available. This lack of publicly available information makes it challenging to assess the reach of these funding opportunities.
University of California-Berkeley currently offers one award, the Cal Alumni Association Native American Scholarship. Worth between $3,000 to $5,000, this award is given to students who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, commitment to Indigenous communities, and vast community service. Students must identify as Native American or American Indian, be enrolled in the minimum number of credits for their major and/or school, and be an undergraduate student. A virtual interview is also required to be considered. Unfortunately, this is a one-time award, only disbursed during the fall or spring of the academic year, depending on when a student applies.
Hawaii
Hawaii currently has nine institutional-level funding opportunities for students across select four-year and two-year institutions. Here, we choose to highlight features of funding opportunities at two institutions.
Honolulu Community College has a program, the Niuhelewai Scholars, which is a unique opportunity as it is a full program that has academic, career, social, and financial benefits. Students who become scholars will have tuition, fees, and book charges covered the first year, participate in a First Year Experience program with other entering students, and will be eligible for future financial aid through completion of an associate’s degree if the first year is successfully completed. Requirements include being a Honolulu resident, a first-time college attendee, and having financial need. Preference will be given to students who have Native Hawaiian ancestry.
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has the most funding opportunities of any institution in the state, with five current scholarships for Indigenous students. What makes these scholarships unique is that they are all offered through the John A. Burns School of Medicine and meant for undergraduate, graduate, or professional students in health majors.
Oregon
In addition to the state level funding opportunities discussed previously, Oregon has seven institutions offering funding opportunities. We highlight opportunities found at four of these institutions.
Eastern Oregon University offers The First Citizen Award to eligible students. Students must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours, be an undergraduate student, maintain a GPA of 2.50 or above, and provide proof of tribal or Native American corporation membership. What makes this award compelling is that it is renewable for all four years, with the opportunity for annual award amount increases as long as requirements are met. Unfortunately, the award amounts are not provided on the website.
Oregon State University has two different funding opportunities, the New Beginnings for Tribal Students (NBTS) Internship Funding Supplement and the New Beginnings for Tribal Students (NBTS) Science Conference Funding Support. Different from other funding found in our inventory, these two opportunities are specifically for internships and conference attendance. Notably, the New Beginnings for Tribal Students (NBTS) Internship Funding Supplement is also offered at Southwestern Oregon Community College.
University of Oregon has specific in-state student classification for Indigenous students, similar to the state’s Out-of-State Tribal Residency. To be considered an in-state student at the University of Oregon for tuition purposes, out-of-state students must be enrolled in a federally recognized tribe located in Oregon or an out-of-state tribe that has customary and symbolic ties to the state. To take advantage of this, proof of tribal membership must be provided to the Office of Admissions.
Central Oregon Community College, one of two community colleges in the state with funding opportunities, offers two awards—the First Nations Student Union Scholarship and the Native American Service Award. Both awards are for current students of the institution who are active members of the First Nations Student Union Club. Students must submit an application for consideration.
Washington
In Washington, three colleges currently offer institutional-level funding.
Clark College offers the DreamCatcher Scholarship. To be eligible for this award, students must identify as Native American, Indian, Alaska Native, Hawaiian Native, or other Indigenous background and must be enrolled in 5 credits minimum. While the scholarship amounts are not posted, the relaxed eligibility requirements likely reduce administrative burden on students.
Seattle University currently offers the Douglas R. Nash Native American Law Scholarship which is one of only a handful of financial aid opportunities we found that support students pursuing a law degree. This award covers full tuition for three years. Students may apply before being admitted, but must be admitted to receive the award. Other requirements include being a direct enrolled member of a federally recognized tribe, either in Washington or out-of-state, academic achievement, and a commitment to Indigenous communities.
Whitman College currently has one opportunity—the Šináata Scholarship. This award covers the full cost of attendance for eligible students, which includes tuition, a meal plan, housing, books, and other fees. Students must be enrolled in the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) or be from the Pacific Northwest with ties to CTUIR. This opportunity is one of the simplest to apply for, as students only have to complete a Common Application for admission, list their demographic information on the Common Application, and submit a FAFSA. Any student who is eligible will receive this award.
Call to Action: Three Ways you can Support our Project
As we await the release of our publicly available website tool for students, there’s three ways you can stay involved:
- Access our draft dataset of currently identified financial aid opportunities for Indigenous students. If you see a financial aid opportunity that is no longer active, or if you are aware of any opportunities we did not include in our list, please email us to let us know!
- Keep an eye out for future snapshots throughout the year. Subscribe to the SSTAR Lab newsletter to have updates sent directly to your inbox!
- Share our posts with your networks, especially students who may be eligible for funding opportunities.
Please feel free to reach out to our project manager, Misti Jeffers (misti.jeffers@wisc.edu), if you have any questions on the project!
*Please note, as we continue to reach out to administrators directly to verify our understanding of these financial aid policies and programs, information described in this post may change prior to the release of the final dataset.