Exploring Tribal Higher Education: A Complete List of Tribal Colleges Tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) are higher education institutions that are created by and for American Indian and Alaska Native and Alaska Native communities in the United States of America. They provide a variety of academic programs, such as certificates, bachelor’s, and some offer master’s degrees. All tribal colleges focus on American Indian and Alaska Native culture, traditions, languages, and history. You can find these institutions on or near reservations where they are governed by the tribes themselves or by ..read more

Investing in Education: Different Ways to pay for College It is not a secret that college is expensive. Going to college with the rising cost of living may feel impossible. Luckily, there are a lot of different options that can help to pay for college. The great news is that you can tailor a financial plan to your exact needs and costs.  Financial aid and scholarships often require applications to be submitted well before a student arrives on campus. Prior planning will allow you to give your full attention to classes and homework. A great thing to do is to prepare a list of the expense ..read more

Top Reasons to Fill Out Your FAFSA “Do I need to fill out a FAFSA?” This question has probably crossed your mind a few times. If you are sifting through college applications there are probably a dozen questions you are asking yourself. It’s good to know there are many ways to pay for college. Keep reading for the 5 top reasons to fill out your FAFSA. What is the FAFSA? FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is one of the most important things you can do if you need financial support. It’s completely free and incredibly easy to fill out! FASFA gives you access to the largest source ..read more

What is a Tribal Scholarship? If you are among the 6.79 million Native Americans in the United States who are thinking about pursuing a college education? Then you may be interested in knowing what a tribal scholarship is. Native Americans make up about 2.09% of the entire US population with tribal members enrolled in one of the 574 federally-recognized Native American tribes in the US. While the Native population is spread out all over the country you’ll find varying concentrations in certain locations.The highest population of US Native Americans is in Alaska, Oklahoma and New Mexico. Tribal ..read more

What you need to know about Vocational Scholarships? Are Vocational Scholarships a Right Fit for You? Understanding How Vocational Scholarships Can Help You Post Graduation? The other day, I overheard some students discussing their post graduation options. One of the questions that kept coming up was, what is a vocational scholarship? Let’s be honest: a 4-year college degree isn’t for everyone. If you feel that a BA or BS isn’t the right path for you, you might be looking into vocational school options–sometimes also known as trade school. There are so many reasons you might choose vocational ..read more

Are you looking at your next step in education and wondering how to qualify for Native American Scholarships? Native American people often have a rich cultural and tribal history. Many have grown up on a protected reservation and therefore have gone through schooling that came out of specific tribal organizations. American Indian and Alaska Native, or Indigenous are interchangeable terms for the purpose of this article. Historically, Native Americans in the US have been a severely underrepresented group when it comes to financial support for education. When considering college options and fund ..read more

April 2021 BLOG POST By Melvin Monette-Barajas, President and Executive Director of Indigenous Education, Inc. The home of the Cobell Scholarship. Indigenous Education, Inc. is pleased to announce the 2021 recipients of the distinguished Cobell Graduate Summer Research Fellowship administered on behalf of the Cobell Board of Trustees. Annually, Indigenous Education, Inc. seeks fellowship applications from American Indian/Alaska Native scholars who are in the final phases of their graduate/professional programs. The aim of the Program is to support high achieving student researchers who might n ..read more

OCTOBER 2020 BLOG POST By Melvin Monette-Barajas, President and Executive Director of Indigenous Education, Inc. The home of the Cobell Scholarship. Happy National Coming Out Day! I’m Gay. I was married. For 9 years, I celebrated life with my best friend and our 2 daughters. It was the 80’s/90’s and I lived in ND in a time when there was no “Will and Grace”; and, “Ellen” was still in the closet. I knew I was different but couldn’t get myself to come to terms with who I am. We divorced and I was no longer a “we”; but I was a “me”. Who was I? I began to self-reflect, but not alone. I had a thera ..read more

IEI is honored to have had 5 years of phenomenal Scholars.   IEI will be honoring 5 years of scholarship and service through 5 days of celebration – and we hope that you will join us! Share your experiences, memories, and photos with IEI, Cobell Scholars, and our partners using #IEI5Year!   Indigenous Education, Inc. Home of the Cobell Scholarship, has had the opportunity to meet many students from all corners of Turtle Island. Whether it be on the road during outreach, students stopping into the IEI office to say “hi”, or a phone call that turned into a great conversation ..read more