Short Answer Questions

Tips for The Full Circle and TCU Scholarship applications

The Full Circle and TCU Scholarship applications have an essay style format with three short-answer questions.

These sections are your chance to share your story and give readers an opportunity to see how a scholarship would help you achieve your stated educational and professional goals and require you to discuss three elements: an obstacle that you have overcome in order to get to where you are now; your educational goals and how this scholarship will help you achieve those; and how your education will help your Native community.

We recommend that you type out your responses to the short-answer question in a Word document (like this template) to ensure safe keeping if you need to abandon the application before submission.

To enhance this section, start by creating an outline of your thoughts and initial answers to each question. The outline does not need to look perfect, but it will allow you to start thinking about and organizing these questions and how they relate to each other.

Here are two sample outlines to help get you started:

  • A Visual Outline for those who prefer to see the outline as part of the big picture.
  • A Textual Outline for those who prefer a more linear approach.
  • Whichever outline you choose, remember that they are not meant to be exhaustive. They are designed to help you organize your thoughts and begin planning for writing your final responses.
  • There is no right or wrong answer for these questions, but it is very important that you provide a thorough response to each short-answer question.

As always, don’t forget to check your grammar and spelling!

NOTE: The short-answer section is ONLY available in the application, not in the profile. This means you must have all of your application ready (INCLUDING YOUR TRANSCRIPT READY TO UPLOAD) when you answer these questions; otherwise your answers will not be saved.

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Remembering Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Northern Cheyenne) 

Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell

Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell

The former Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell passed December 30, 2025, surrounded by family shortly after a visit with tribal elders. Eddie Box Jr. sang the sacred Southern Ute Sundance songs which carried Native people between worlds for generations, and the vision of Nighthorse-Campbell donned in his war bonnet and buckskins and riding his horse home into the next world.

He was born in April 13, 1933, in Auburn, California to Mary Vierra, a Portuguese immigrant who battled tuberculosis for 26 years, and Albert Campbell, a Northern Cheyenne who struggled with alcoholism and was often absent. By the time he was 10 years old he had spent half his life in a Sacramento orphanage while his mother was ill.

His time in the orphanage taught him the lessons that defined his life. He learned to flatten silver coins on railroad tracks and work them into jewelry as art and to trade for food, leading to his lifelong work as an artist. This earned him more than 200 national and international awards and recognition for his talent as a sculptor, jewelry artist, and designer. Nighthorse Campbell designed the American Indian College Fund’s Cheyenne Eagle saddle blanket in the Pendleton line, which was popular through the years and helped raise funds for Native students’ higher education.

Cheyenne Eagle saddle blanket designed by the late Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell for the American Indian College Fund as part of its Pendleton blanket line.

Cheyenne Eagle saddle blanket designed by the late Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell for the American Indian College Fund as part of its Pendleton blanket line.

After his turbulent teen years and time spent picking fruit in California, he made the decision to enlist in the U.S. Air Force and volunteered to serve in the Korean War.

He earned his high school equivalency degree while in the service and later attended San Jose State University using the G.I. Bill, graduating in 1957 with degrees in physical education and fine arts. After graduation he drew upon his earlier years picking fruit with Japanese immigrants who introduced him to judo. He moved to Tokyo and trained in judo at Meiji University, one of the world’s most respected judo programs, for four years. He was a three-time United States National Judo Champion, won the gold medal at the 1963 Pan American Games, and captained the United States Olympic judo team in Tokyo in 1964, where he was the first Native American on the United States Olympic judo team. He told his family judo taught him perseverance and gave him a passion.

After the Olympics, Nighthorse Campbell worked as a deputy sheriff, coached the United States national judo team, and taught high school. While teaching he met Linda Price, a Colorado native and public schoolteacher. They married in 1966 and built a life together that spanned nearly sixty years.

The couple purchased a 120-acre ranch in the 1970s near Ignacio, Colorado, bordering the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. There they raised their son Takes Arrows (Colin), and daughter Sweet Medicine Woman (Shanan) and bred and showed champion quarter horses and built a life centered on land, family, and tradition. He also launched his successful jewelry career, drawing on techniques he learned from Japanese sword makers. His jewelry has been collected by celebrities including Mick Jagger and Robert Redford, as well as several United States presidents.

Nighthorse Campbell later traveled to the Northern Cheyenne reservation in Montana, where he met his paternal relatives and enrolled as a member of the Black Horse family. At his name-giving ceremony he received the name Nighthorse. He would later serve as one of 44 chiefs of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe.

His political career was almost accidental. In 1982, party officials needed someone willing to run for state representative in what was considered an unwinnable race. Nighthorse Campbell was the only candidate to step forward and won with 57% of the vote. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1986 and in 1992, making history as the first Native American to serve in the United States Senate in more than 60 years. In 1995, he switched political parties as a fiscal conservative while remaining socially progressive. He served in public offices for 22 years.

Members of the Northern Cheyenne Nation visit a display of Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell’s artwork at Chief Dull Knife College.

Members of the Northern Cheyenne Nation visit a display of Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell’s artwork at Chief Dull Knife College.

Nighthorse Campbell’s legislative accomplishments include authoring the bill establishing the National Museum of the American Indian and requiring the return of Native American remains to tribes. He was the first and only Native American to date to chair the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, which passed more pro-Indian legislation than in any comparable period.

Other accomplishments include his rank as number one in the One Hundred Sixth Congress for passing the most legislation into law. He helped create two national parks and sponsored the National Museum of the American Indian and the National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington, D.C. He co-authored the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and championed changing the name of Custer Battlefield to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. Lake Nighthorse in southwestern Colorado bears his name.

His most personal achievement was his work to ensure the creation of the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site. He was recognized and honored as a direct descendant of Red Dress and Yellow Woman, two sisters who were murdered in the massacre of November 29, 1864. He camped at the site the night before its dedication in 2007, reflecting that it was peaceful and beautiful, with children playing by the fire. He thought how it must have been the night before the massacre, when no one knew what was coming.

Throughout his career, Nighthorse Campbell remained unapologetically himself. He rode his Harley to the U.S. Capitol, led the Colorado POW and MIA Recognition Ride for a decade, and was the only United States Senator with a commercial trucking license. In 2005, he personally drove the National Christmas Tree more than 5,000 miles from Meeker, Colorado, to Washington, D.C.

His many honors include the Ellis Island Medal of Freedom, the Order of the Rising Sun from Emperor Akihito in 2011, induction into the National Native American Hall of Fame in 2021, and the 2023 Sovereign Warrior Award.

The American Indian College Fund knew him as a friend to Native higher education, and he served as an original member on its board of trustees under then-chairwoman Anne Sward Hansen. He served three terms before stepping down in 1995. He also designed a special edition Cheyenne Eagle saddle blanket for the American Indian College Fund’s Pendleton blanket line, which raises funds for Native student scholarships. Chief Dull Knife College, a tribal college, on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, holds cherished pieces of his artwork in its museum.

At the end of his life, Nighthorse Campbell enjoyed seeing his work as an artist, his story, his values, and his spirit continued through the legacy of Nighthorse Jewelry and his family members’ work, including Linda, daughter Shanan, and grandson Luke.

Ben Nighthorse Campbell is survived by his wife, Linda; his daughter, Shanan; his son, Colin (wife Karen); granddaughters Lauren and Caroline Campbell; and grandsons Luke and Saylor Longfellow.

Senator Nighthorse Campbell will be laid to rest at Nighthorse Ranch in a private family service.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family requests donations to the Northern Cheyenne Boys and Girls Club in Lame Deer, Montana.

This tribute was created from several of Ben Nighthorse Campbell’s obituaries and American Indian College Fund records.

Our Students’ Success is Our Wealth: Join Us to Help More Students Access Higher Education 

Winter is a special season, full of holidays, good food, good company. And no matter the culture, storytelling and the spirit of reflection, growth, giving, and gratitude take center stage this time of year. It is no different for Native peoples, many of whom wait to tell certain stories on long, cold winter nights.

Stories help ground us in culture and history while passing on knowledge. They teach us how to be. It’s perfect timing then, to have the American Indian College Fund publish its annual and impact reports during the holiday season, as we celebrate all that we’ve accomplished on behalf of the students and tribal colleges we served this past year and share our hopes for the future.

Take for instance the story of Michael, a College Fund scholar and tribal college faculty member at Turtle Mountain College (TMC). Juggling his own higher education goals while he teaches others, Michael is set to become the University of Mary’s first Native graduate from the business administration doctoral program. His success serves as an example others aspire to, including his own daughters Aaliyah and Gracelyn, now students at TMC themselves.

Or consider the work of Kianna, a College Fund student ambassador who is putting her cultural knowledge and academic degrees to good use serving as a Tribal Conservation Program Fellow through the Aspen Institute and an Education and Engagement Youth Advisory Council Member for the National Wildlife Federation. Kianna is a staunch advocate for Indigenous-led stewardship and youth leadership development, even as she continues her education.

Such stories give Native individuals and communities hope that dreams are attainable and that a better future is possible. They also reflect the true wealth of Tribes and the College Fund. Traditionally, for many Indigenous peoples, true wealth is not about what they have, but what they share with their communities. Simply look at the potlatch traditions of the Pacific Northwest, where individuals hold communal feasts and give gifts to the attendees, or consider that the word please does not exist in western Muskogean languages, as tribal members believe one should not have to beg for what is needed to thrive. In Indigenous communities, wealth is measured by contributing to the success of the community as a whole and the strong ties between members that hold it together. The College Fund, a Native-serving and Native-led organization, shares this same mindset.

In 2024-25, we provided more than $23 million in scholarships and other support to nearly 7,000 Native scholars. With 150,600 Native students supported through $221 million since 1989, we like to believe that our wealth is measured in the stories of success shared by scholars like Michael and Kianna. It’s in the 93% of College Fund scholars who stay to serve their communities after graduation, the billions of dollars in economic growth the tribal colleges and universities (TCU) bring to their communities, and the lifechanging force that funding brings. For some of our students, financial support has turned homelessness and an uncertain future into safety, nourishment, and hope.

Yet, there is always room to do more. American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) students still have the lowest college enrollment in the country of any racial or ethnic group at 25%. More than 75% of AIAN students and 69% of TCU students receive Pell Grants, indicating financial need. Today, Pell Grants cover only approximately 30% of college costs compared to the 75% or more coverage of the 1970s and early 80s. The College Fund strives to fill in the funding gap but cannot meet everyone’s needs. Some 13,500 applicants applied for scholarships in 2024-25, with more than half being first-generation students and half serving as caregivers for family members who might not otherwise be able to attend college without our financial support. Of those student applicants, we did not have the means to help some 6,600 students.

While we have helped contribute to many students’ successes, we hope to help even more next year. Though we cannot predict the stability or amount of government funding for Native higher education in the new year, we look forward to working with our partners and supporters to continue growing the financial and other means to support Native students. In their future and success lies the true wealth of our communities.

Hanging a Red Dress for Christmas: MMIP, Native Higher Education, and Hope for a Better New Year 

It’s a scene straight from a Dickens novel: a family sits around the table on Christmas Day with an empty chair amongst them and a somber air. Except this isn’t the Victorian classic, it’s real life for far too many Native families and no well-intentioned spirits to save the day. The epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) in the United States that has existed for years continues unabated. And while Native students deal with the same end of semester pressures and holiday stresses as other students, they’re more likely to also be living in a state of fear or mourning for a relative who may never make it home.

A report by the Federal Bureau of Investigations regarding 2024 Missing American Indian (AI) and Alaska Native (AN) Persons Data recorded 10,248 incidents of AI/ANs going missing. A staggering 6,871 of these individuals were juveniles under the age of 18. Per the report, 5,614 of the missing persons were female and 4,626 were male. Those numbers are significant for two reasons: they support the ongoing dialogue of protecting and bringing Native women and girls home but also highlight the fact that all Indigenous individuals are at risk.

The statistics available focus on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), however, who experience violence at greater rates than any other group in the United States. Murder is the third leading cause of death for Indigenous women.  The most recent data shows that more than four out of five Indigenous women experienced violence in general and more than half have been abused at the hands of a domestic partner (the vast majority of their attackers are non-Native). Nearly half of Native men have also experienced domestic abuse.  Thanks to the history of poor coordination among law enforcement entities and prosecutors to investigate these cases, it is even believed that in addition to domestic violence and sex trafficking there are serial killers specifically choosing to prey upon people in Indian Country because the risk of detection is so much lower.

Progress was being made at the federal level regarding awareness of MMIP and efforts to find those missing, seek justice for those harmed, and prevent more people from going missing. Unfortunately, in February of this year, the Trump Administration removed the ‘Not One More’ report which was mandated by the 2020 Not Invisible Act, a critical report addressing MMIP. The decision was both disheartening and came as a surprise, since it contradicted President Trump’s formal recognition of the MMIP issue during his first term in office.

In the absence of federal support, tribal colleges and universities, faculty, and students continue to do what they can to protect and heal their communities.

Navajo Technical University is partnering with the Navajo Nation’s Missing and Murdered Diné Relative Task Force to develop a database that would improve data access, accountability, and coordination around missing persons cases in Navajo Nation. American Indian College Fund Student Ambassador Memory Long Chase (Standing Rock Sioux Tribe) has spent 13 years advocating and providing direct services related to domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and more in Arizona.

Former Indigenous Visionaries Fellow, Nical Glasses, developed and initiated a community-based project focused on empowering women and creating awareness about safety and MMIW. Another Indigenous Visionaries Fellow, Trinity Moran, spoke candidly about traumatic events affecting her childhood and how she became passionate about MMIP.

Far too many Native students and their families can relate to Trinity’s experiences. In some Native cultures, red is the only color that spirits can see. This is the reason supporters wear red on MMIW Day in March. The REDress Project, an outdoor art installation by artist Jaime Black (Metis), hung empty red dresses in trees as a visual reminder of the women and girls who never made it home.

This is a far cry from the ornaments that so many will hang on their Christmas trees throughout the coming weeks. But our students, communities, and tribal colleges won’t stop working until our relatives are brought home and kept safe. Until then, we’ll be a little blue at Christmas, until there’s no more reason to wear red.