Help us reach our goal of raising $500,000 so 100 more American Indians can start the path to earning their college degrees. Stand with us. Stand with Students. Together we'll empower more American Indians to make a positive change in our world.
Meet Our Scholars
Meet Our Scholars
- Stand With Us -
I look forward to being able to look back and say, I did that, and I hope that somebody can see what I did and take it further and go beyond. -Natasha
13% of American Indians have a college degree – and that’s just wrong! The American Indian College Fund is changing this by helping more Native American students start and complete their college degrees.
Support us by sharing our movement to #StandWithNativeStudents.
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Donate
$300
A single college course
$300
Donate $300 for a class
One Class (Three Credits) = $300
DONATE
Show your support
Stand up and show your support for more American Indians starting and completing their college degrees. Download and print this sign, take your photo, and share via Facebook or Twitter. Tell the world why you chose to Stand With Us. Make sure to include #StandWithNativeStudents in your comment!
DONATE
Donate
$550
books and supplies for an entire semester
$550
$550 – Books and supplies for an entire semester
DONATE
Brook
Brook
- Blackfeet Indian -
Blackfeet Community College
Political Science
My personal passion is to be the voice of my community and be a leader. I want those who see me and hear me to know that you can achieve anything.
Brook is investing in himself and his community by pursuing his degree in political science, with the goal of becoming a tribal lawyer. He is grateful for the support he’s received from the American Indian College Fund, which allows him to continue his education and has opened opportunities he had only dreamed of. As a member of his student senate, Brook recently traveled to Washington DC — the first time he has ever traveled off his reservation. His achievements and success have spanned beyond his community to inspire others across Indian Country. Brook honors his past, recognizing it’s made him the person he is today; and by completing his education he will become the person he wants to be in the future.
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Right now, only 7% of American Indians ages 25-29 hold a college degree.
Many more follow in their footsteps – 40% of American Indians are under the age of 18.
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Jordan
Jordan
- Navajo Nation -
Public Health
Dine College
Consistency and determination are driving forces to reaching one's dreams, but assistance and opportunities from the American Indian College Fund make dreams a reality.
Jordan knows the future of healthcare is meeting patients where they are, both physically and mentally. A public health major, Jordan’s goal is to one day become a healthcare administrator so he can provide evidence-based care to his patients, complimented by his knowledge of their culture and limited resources. He uses the example of problem solving for diabetic patients who need a refrigerator for insulin when he knows they don’t own one. Jordan is thankful for the support he’s received from the American Indian College Fund, which has truly made a difference in his life. And more than that, Jordan is humbled by the support he’s received and is fortified by the knowledge that there are people who don’t even know him, but care about him and all American Indian students.
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Donate
$100
one credit hour
$100
$100 – One credit hour
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Native students are motivated, resilient and eager to activate their academic potential.
And most of them need help – 90% demonstrate financial need.
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Donate
$3445
tuition for one year
$3445
$3445 – Tuition for one year
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Brian
Brian
- Lac du Flambeau -
Natural Resources
UW Stevens Point
If a Native American student is successful, it means they're beating the odds. Once I've finished my college education, it's going be the happiest day of my life
Brian, a recent graduate of Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College (LCOOCC), is now enrolled at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, and is pursuing his degree in natural resources. His goal is to complete his education by earning his Ph.D. Brian’s passion is to bridge traditional understanding of the environment with modern science to create a more productive and efficient use of nature that is adaptable to how we use the land today. While the support Brian receives from his family inspired him to pursue a college degree, financial support from the American Indian College Fund has enabled Brian to stay in school and become a role model for struggling teens in his community.
DONATE
Show your support
Stand up and show your support for more American Indians starting and completing their college degrees. Download and print this sign, take your photo, and share via Facebook or Twitter. Tell the world why you chose to Stand With Us. Make sure to include #StandWithNativeStudents in your comment!
DONATE
Waycen
Waycen
- Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation -
Applied Science
Fort Peck Community College
It is my dream to see others like me get an opportunity to be something they always wanted to be; to follow our dreams and ensure ourselves a better future.
Waycen’s future plans include completing his four-year degree in technology and graphic design and to use both his areas of expertise to open his own business. Waycen is very thankful for the opportunities the American Indian College Fund has opened up for him, as college wasn’t something he was able to afford without help. The love and support he receives from his family, coupled with the financial support and mentoring he receives from the College Fund, pushes Waycen to do his best, feeds his determination to succeed and inspires him to build a better life for himself, his family and his community.
DONATE
Donate
$5000
Student support for one year
$5000
$5000 – Student support for one year
DONATE
Since 1989, the College Fund has provided more than 100,000 scholarships to Native students.
Stand with us, and help us double the amount we provide in scholarships in the next five years.
DONATE
Donate
$100
a textbook
$100
$100 – A Textbook
DONATE
Show your support
Stand up and show your support for more American Indians starting and completing their college degrees. Download and print this sign, take your photo, and share via Facebook or Twitter. Tell the world why you chose to Stand With Us. Make sure to include #StandWithNativeStudents in your comment!
DONATE
“The American Indian College Fund stepped in which was significant because if it wasn't for them after the first semester, I wouldn't have continued college.”
- Brian
"The American Indian College Fund stepped in which was significant because if it wasn't for them after the first semester, I wouldn't have continued college."
- Brian
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Cholena
Cholena
- Shinnecock Indian Nation -
Sociology and Anthropology (2014)
Stony Brook University
I want to discover history and I want to bring our story to the public, because it's important not only to indigenous peoples history, but to the world's history.
Cholena is currently working on research for her PhD. Her fascinating work mirrors her equally fascinating upbringing. Cholena is a member of the Shinnecock Nation and grew up on the reservation, located right in the middle of the wealthy South Hamptons in New York. While Cholena’s tribe is poor, she was grounded by an understanding of her culture and history, but was also able to seize the opportunities around her, gaining a global perspective of the world. Her work is driven by recent revelations of her ancestor’s presence in ports as far away as Hawaii and New Zealand, and evidence of their impact on establishing the whaling industry and modern day economics. Cholena thanks the American Indian College Fund for helping her complete her education, allowing her to give an indigenous voice to the world’s history.
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Every year, the College Fund supports about 4,000 American Indian college students.
Their interests are diverse – law, nursing, engineering, environmental science.
DONATE
Donate
$300
A single college course
$300
Donate $300 for a class
One Class (Three Credits) = $300
DONATE
Donate
$50
semester lab fee
$50
$50 – Semester Lab Fee
DONATE
Since 1989, the College Fund has provided more than 100,000 scholarships to Native students.
Stand with us, and help us double the amount we provide in scholarships in the next five years.
DONATE
Justina
Justina
- Oglala Lakota -
Indigenous Liberal Studies
Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA)
We look for the future, because the future lies within us.
Wanting to positively influence both the physical and emotional health of Native youth inspires Justina to continue working toward completing her education. As part of her studies she has developed an innovative approach to creating a healthy youth community in the midst of national problems, such as mass incarceration of juveniles, by incorporating her indigenous values in a rehabilitation protocol. Her approach addresses both developing a strong sense of identity, as well as a strong commitment to and sense of community, resulting in healthier individuals and healthier communities. Justina is so grateful to the American Indian College Fund for supporting her in her incredible journey…a path she would not be traveling without the scholarship support she’s received.
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Students supported by the College Fund go on to make positive change in our world.
Graduates are lawyers, health care professionals, engineers and environmental scientists.
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Lauren
Lauren
- Cherokee Nation -
BS in Business Management (Spring '15)
Haskell Indian Nations University
For those people who think that Native American youth aren't interested in building a better life and are content living in poverty, I know 1,200 Haskell students who are breaking that cycle!
Lauren currently works for Boston Financial Data Services in Lawrence, Kansas. Lauren was drawn to Haskell Indian Nations University as a place where she would be among other Native students and where she could learn more about her own Cherokee heritage, other tribes, and Native peoples. Lauren’s passion lies in dispelling misperceptions about Native youth; and being a smart, driven and successful young woman, she does that with every person she meets. She is grateful for the support she’s received from the American Indian College Fund and looks forward to a future filled with all the opportunities available to her because she has her college degree.
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“I have no excuse to not go and achieve things. My ancestors struggled so I could make something of my life. That's what pushes me forward. Because I know I'm living their prayers.”
- Alberta
"I have no excuse to not go and achieve things. My ancestors struggled so I could make something of my life. That's what pushes me forward. Because I know I'm living their prayers."
- Alberta
DONATE
Donate
$5000
Student support for one year
$5000
$5000 – Student support for one year
DONATE
We want every Native student who starts college to finish.
You can help us reach our goal to triple the graduation rate of Native students.
DONATE
Natasha
Natasha
- Chippewa-Cree Indian -
Tribal Historic Preservation
Salish Kootenai College
I look forward to being able to look back and say, I did that, and I hope that somebody can see what I did and take it further and go beyond.
Natasha, a wife and mother of five children, is also a 3.90 GPA student at Salish Kootenai College, where she found her life’s purpose in tribal historic preservation. Passionate about giving Native people a voice, Natasha is working to preserve the nation’s history through policy in government. Natasha is thankful for the financial support she’s received from the American Indian College Fund, as well as the recognition she’s received for her hard work and leadership. Natasha is inspired to continue her work to give Native students and all Native people a voice.
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“Thank you for supporting me and giving me a chance to succeed. Your generosity has inspired me to be giving.
”
- Waylon
"Thank you for supporting me and giving me a chance to succeed. Your generosity has inspired me to be giving. "
- Waylon
DONATE
Waylon
Waylon
- Lummi Tribe and Northern Cheyenne -
American Indian/Native American Studies and Anthropology
University of New Mexico - Albuquerque
When I speak, I will be prepared and my voice will be heard. The words I share do not belong to me. They belong to my community because they helped me obtain that knowledge.
Waylon is working towards two bachelors degrees at the University of New Mexico, with the goal of becoming a Law Professor in American Indian/Native American Studies. Waylon believes that an education is the avenue for success and that success means being able to provide solutions to problems where there are none. Waylon is thankful for the financial and career readiness support he’s received from the American Indian College Fund as he prepares to forge ahead and fulfill his life’s purpose through his work.
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Donate
$735
food for one month to support a student and his/her family
$735
$735 – Food for one month to support a student and family
DONATE
Alberta
Alberta
- Navajo Nation -
Indigenous Liberal Studies with emphasis on Tribal Law
Institute of American Indian Arts
My ancestors didn t struggle so I couldn t make anything of my life. I know I am living their prayers.
Alberta, a National Honor Society student, is thriving at the Institute of American Indian Arts, where she is receiving not only an education, but is also a member of a caring and supportive community, which includes mentors and tutors. Alberta plans to attend law school so she can use her law degree and her mastery of the Navajo language to bridge communication among tribal members and other communities in the areas of legislation and policies.
DONATE
Donate
$550
books and supplies for an entire semester
$550
$550 – Books and supplies for an entire semester
DONATE
When it comes to higher education, American Indians are the most underserved minority group.
Fewer than 13% of American Indians have a college degree, and they comprise only 1% of the current college student population.