American Indian College Fund Supports Largest Full Circle Scholarship Cohort to Date

1,998 Native students awarded funding to pursue a higher education

August 29, 2024, Denver, Colo.— The American Indian College Fund (College Fund) awarded its largest Full Circle scholarship cohort ever, with nearly 2,000 Native students receiving awards. The Full Circle Scholarship Program is open to any Native American U.S. citizen who is an enrolled member or descendant of an enrolled member of a state or federally recognized tribe. Applicants must have a minimum 2.0 grade point average, and plan to enroll as a full-time student at a nonprofit, accredited college or university.

The fall cohort of Full Circle scholars is a diverse group. Students are affiliated with 249 tribal nations from across Indian Country. They are pursuing more than 450 majors at every level from associate to doctorate degrees. This year’s Full Circle scholars are using their scholarship awards to attend 34 tribal colleges and universities and 345 mainstream institutions. The median award amount per scholar is $3,900. The College Fund is preparing thousands more scholarships for tribal colleges and universities to disburse to their awardees this fall.

The College Fund accepts online scholarship applications on a rolling basis each year beginning on February 1. Students are encouraged to apply by May 31 to receive priority consideration. To learn more, visit https://collegefund.org/scholarships.

About the American Indian College Fund— The American Indian College Fund has been the nation’s largest charity supporting Native higher education for 34 years. The College Fund believes “Education is the answer” and provided $17.4 million in scholarships and other direct student support to American Indian students in 2022-23. Since its founding in 1989 the College Fund has provided more than $319 million in scholarships, programs, community, and tribal college 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.