American Indian College Fund Launches Boarding School Descendant Scholarship for 2021-22

$60,000 Grant from National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition Funds Twenty Native Scholarships for 2021-22

Denver, Colo.—October 26, 2021– The American Indian College Fund and the National Native American Boarding School (NABS) Healing Coalition have joined forces to provide scholarships to descendants of boarding school survivors. Twenty scholarships of $3,000 each were awarded for the academic year 2021-22.

The scholarship is designed to acknowledge the experiences of boarding school survivors and to allow families to come together and heal. In the application process, students share a 500-word essay about their relationship with a boarding school survivor in their family. This process is designed to prompt sharing and healing, while acknowledging the impact of this trauma on their lives and relationships.

NABS raised over $51,000 as part of a matching campaign to fund the scholarships for this academic year. In addition to financial support, the American Indian College Fund (the College Fund) provides students with culturally relevant and holistic support to facilitate persistence in education, academic achievement, personal and professional development, and career planning.

Christine Diindiisi McCleave, CEO of the National Native American Boarding School (NABS) Healing Coalition, said, “We know that the impacts of Indian boarding schools are intergenerational and have played a profound role in the educational disparities Native American students experience today. This scholarship program is a first step for boarding school descendants to heal intergenerational trauma, change their own narratives, and restore what was taken from us through Indian boarding schools.”

Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, said, Native students are reclaiming education. All of us are survivors of intentional damage to the rights of our Tribes to educate and socialize their own people. The College Fund is honored to work with NABS to support those who are directly impacted by boarding schools. This helps all of us restore ourselves to the abundant and healthy lifestyles that are our right.”

To qualify for the scholarship, a student must be a U.S. citizen, a tribal member or descendant of a federally or state-recognized tribe, a boarding school survivor or direct descendant of boarding school survivors, and enrolled full-time in a non-profit higher education institution in the United States. Students do not need to demonstrate financial need for this scholarship. Applicants must complete the College Fund’s online Full Circle Scholarship application and a 500-word personal essay about the assimilation model of boarding schools. Interested students can apply at https://collegefund.org/students/scholarships/.

About the National Native American Boarding School (NABS) Healing Coalition: The mission of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) is to lead in the pursuit of understanding and addressing the ongoing trauma created by the United States Indian boarding school policy. NABS’s work is centered around seeking truth, justice, and healing for survivors and descendants of Indian boarding schools.

About the American Indian College Fund—The American Indian College Fund has been the nation’s largest charity supporting Native higher education for 32 years. The College Fund believes “Education is the answer” and provided $15.5 million in scholarships and other direct student support to American Indian students in 2020-21. Since its founding in 1989 the College Fund has provided more than $259 million in scholarships, program, and community support. The College Fund also supports a variety of academic and support programs at the nation’s 35 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which are located on or near Indian reservations, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers. The College Fund consistently receives top ratings from independent charity evaluators and is one of the nation’s top 100 charities named to the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit www.collegefund.org.

Journalists: The American Indian College Fund does not use the acronym AICF. On second reference, please use the College Fund.

Contact:

• • Dina Horwedel, Director of Public Education, American Indian College Fund, 303-426-8900, dhorwedel@collegefund.org, and
  • Lora Horgen, Communications Officer, National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, 612-387-6874, lhorgen@nabshc.org