Scholarships for Native American and Indigenous students in Arizona

Your tribe's higher education office is your first funding source — most enrolled members don't know it exists

Nearly every federally recognized tribe in Arizona has a Higher Education Department or Scholarship Office that awards money to enrolled members pursuing post-secondary education. These awards range from $500 to several thousand dollars per year and are specifically for tribal members — but many eligible students never apply because the programs aren't widely advertised. Contact your tribe's higher education office directly; it is typically listed on your tribe's official website. Enrollment verification is required.

The American Indian College Fund supports both tribal college students and Native students at mainstream universities

The American Indian College Fund is one of the largest private funders of Native American higher education. It awards scholarships to students at tribal colleges and universities AND to enrolled tribal members attending mainstream colleges and universities. Awards vary by program; applicants must be enrolled members of a federally or state-recognized tribe. Applications open each spring at collegefund.org.

Tribal scholarships, Pell Grants, and state aid can stack — they don't reduce each other the way outside scholarships sometimes do

Tribal higher education grants are typically excluded from the calculation that determines whether an outside scholarship reduces your need-based package. That means you can receive Pell, an Arizona state grant, a tribal scholarship, and an AICF award simultaneously without one displacing another. Confirm with your financial aid office — but this stacking advantage is a major reason Native students who know the system end up with very low out-of-pocket costs.