College Fund Scholarship Expert Addresses Native Student Challenges

October 18, 2015

National scholarship providers are often unaware of the special challenges American Indian students face when entering college. Tiffany Gusbeth, a member of the Northern Cheyenne tribe and a Program Manager for the Full Circle Scholarships program at the American Indian College Fund, spoke at the National Scholarships Providers Association annual meeting in Charleston, South Carolina in October, providing an inside view about those challenges and tips and tools to help them succeed.

Gusbeth says the application process for college is particularly challenging for American Indian students and scholarship providers should consider their own interpretations of the American Indian student experience to mitigate possible barriers to students receiving financial support. She explored American Indian cultural values, including the importance of family connections to American Indian students and the importance of community, and their impact on student success with attendees so that they can better serve the American Indian student community.

About Tiffany Gusbeth
Tiffany Gusbeth earned her bachelor’s degree in liberal arts with an emphasis in elementary education from Western State Colorado University (WSCU). She began her experience in student aid as a work-study student and part-time advisor at WSCU and continued in the field after graduation, spending nearly three years at Guilford Technical Community College in Jamestown, North Carolina as a Financial Aid and Scholarship Advisor. She is currently a Program Manager for the Full Circle Scholarships program at the American Indian College Fund. She says it has always been her passion to assist students in funding their higher educational pursuits and she is honored to serve a population so deserving.