Short Answer Questions
Tips for The Full Circle and TCU Scholarship applications
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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Investing in Tribal Colleges and Our Shared Future
Education is a cornerstone of American society—often an expected milestone. But for many Native students, this steppingstone into a career is the exception rather than the rule, due to financial need.
Yet education is invaluable. It’s not just about the financial return on investment a graduate receives. An education offers the opportunity to explore and discover who we are, who we want to be, what the world needs, and how we can honor our story while moving forward.
Tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) reclaimed education as a tool for language and cultural revitalization and preservation in the wake of assimilative attempts of the government and mainstream education institutions using western education systems to remove them from and destroy their cultures.
TCUs are extensions of tribal nations —built for the community, by the community — and serve tribal and rural communities that are underserved by higher education and are too often overlooked by the rest of the country.
During the first week of February, representatives from 36 tribal colleges travelled from across the country to Washington, D.C. to remind Congress that supporting TCUs is not optional — it’s part of the federal government’s trust and treaty obligations. TCUs are not only here; they are creating a ripple of generational change with every student who walks through their doors.
That’s because TCUs aren’t just about supporting the academic student; they invest in the whole person. For many, attending a TCU is a reintroduction to their Native culture and language, helping them discover confidence and power in their Native identity. TCU students met with Congressional leaders, and some shared they never believed school was built for them until attending a TCU.
That shift in mindset about education extends beyond the individual. Families change when children see their parents earn their degrees and begin to see new possibilities for themselves. One student even shared he convinced his father to enroll in classes alongside him.
TCUs show Native students that it’s never too late to pursue an education. The cyclical exchange of care—between students, families, institutions, and communities— is at the heart of these schools. Healing and growth take time, and much of this work is done knowing we may not see the full fruits of this labor in our lifetimes. But that doesn’t mean the impact isn’t real. We’re already seeing it.
Graduates overwhelmingly stay and work in their communities, strengthening tribal economies and contributing to the country’s workforce. TCUs have sparked hope that we can build something our ancestors always dreamed of for Native people. Going back is not an option. There is only forward. With continued investment, TCUs can grow to serve even more students ready to take that step toward a better future.
For many in our country, TCUs remain hidden gems. Yet they embody the heart of education: connection to oneself, to community, and to each other as they uplift all. That’s something we can’t afford to lose.
Read the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) Legislative Summit Press Release Here
To truly understand the impact of tribal colleges and universities, listen to the students themselves.
American Indian College Fund Announces Spring 2026 Faculty Fellow Cohort
Denver, Colo., February 19, 2026 — The American Indian College Fund welcomed seven new faculty fellows in the spring 2026 cohort. A total of $96,063 in funding was awarded to tribal college and university (TCU) faculty and staff to support their graduate studies. These fellows are working to increase the academic capacity of their four TCUs by pursuing higher and terminal degrees.
The College Fund’s Master’s Degree Fellowship supports TCU faculty and staff accepted to or enrolled in a master’s program in any field of study. Fellows receive awards of up to $25,000 for up to two years.
- Glen Philbrick, business faculty at Sitting Bull College, M.S. in Economics.
- Kyla Hammock (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians), nursing faculty at Bay Mills Community College, M.S. in Nursing Education.
The College Fund’s Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship provides TCU faculty who are in the final stage of their doctoral program with a one-year award to complete their dissertation and other requirements for graduation. The goal is to support individual faculty members’ educational goals while increasing the number of TCU faculty members with a doctorate and cultivating leaders from within. Fellows may receive awards of up to $20,000 to pursue a doctorate in any field of study.
- Kim Parko, creative writing faculty at the Institute of American Indian Arts, Ph.D. in Transdisciplinary Studies.
- Dakota Goodhouse (Standing Rock Sioux), Native American studies and history instructor at United Tribes Technical College, Ph.D. in History.
The Nyswander–Blanchard Pre-Dissertation Fellowship supports TCU faculty who have been admitted or are enrolled in a doctoral degree program and are in the coursework phase of their studies. The fellowship was established in 2012 with support and funding from then College Fund Board Member Kim Blanchard and the Nyswander-Manson family. Fellows receive between $3,000 and $10,000 for one year. Funding must be used to cover expenses associated with degree attainment such as tuition, fees, and books.
- Jamie Figueroa, creative writing faculty at the Institute of American Indian Arts, Ph.D. in Visionary Practice and Regenerative Leadership.
- Tanecia Hallai, Exercise Science and Liberal Arts Department Chair and faculty at Bay Mills Community College, Ph.D. in Public Health with a community health specialization.
- Ashly Ellis, Nursing Program Director at Bay Mills Community College, Doctor of Nursing Education.
About the American Indian College Fund — The American Indian College Fund has been the nation’s largest charity supporting Native higher education for 35 years. The College Fund believes “Education is the answer” and provided more than $23 million in scholarships and other student support for higher education in 2024-25. Since its founding in 1989 the College Fund has provided more than $391 million in scholarships, programs, community, and tribal college support. The College Fund also supports a variety of 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. It earned a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, a Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid (formerly Guidestar), and the “Best in America Seal of Excellence” from the Independent Charities of America. The College Fund was also named as one of the nation’s top 100 charities to the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit collegefund.org.
Journalists—The American Indian College Fund does not use the acronym AICF. On second reference, please use the College Fund.
American Indian College Fund Staff Co-Author Research in Support of Indigenous Women’s Leadership
American Indian College Fund Staff Co-Author Research in Support of Indigenous Women’s Leadership
Denver, Colo., February 17, 2026 — The leadership experiences of Indigenous women is an under-researched topic. Two Native leaders at the American Indian College Fund co-authored a journal article to support Indigenous women in their leadership path to remedy this. College Fund Vice President of Programs, Emily R. White Hat (Sicangu Lakota), and Senior Program Officer for Tribal College and University Programs, Cassandra Harden (Diné) partnered with Gregory B. Tafoya (Santa Clara Pueblo and Sac and Fox descent), and Julie E. Lucero, Associate Professor, University of Utah, to write “Evidence of and Support for Indigenous Women’s Leadership.”
The article is included in Volume 12 of Women, Gender, and Families of Color and analyzes 18 peer-reviewed articles to identify key concepts and available support for Indigenous women’s leadership. The authors hope their findings will be used to inform future practices, programs, and policy.
The authors used a scoping review method of current literature. This method comprehensively summarizes and synthesizes knowledge and is appropriate due to the small body of work on the issue of Indigenous women’s leadership. The team asked what types of evidence and key concepts about Indigenous women’s leadership exist in the peer-reviewed literature and what support or resources Indigenous women leaders need for success across a variety of professional fields.
Key concepts found within the literature included identifying pathways to leadership and leadership approaches and models. Ideas such as a call to service and the importance of collaboration and building relationships were common throughout the materials reviewed and answered the first research question. From the literature, the authors also identified barriers encountered in obtaining or keeping leadership positions. Racial/ethnic identity and gender served as noteworthy barriers to Indigenous women leaders depending on context. This includes work inside or outside of their community, among other factors. A theme emerged in response to the second research question concerning the importance of “knowing ‘who I am.’” This theme allows an individual to define themselves in their own terms, promoting self-assertion. Formal education was also emphasized as a mechanism to achieve the biculturalism often demanded of Indigenous women leaders to walk in two worlds. A solid work ethic, determination, and cultural knowledge also contribute to success as an Indigenous woman leader.
A digital copy of the article may be purchased at https://muse.jhu.edu/article/978931.
American Indian College Fund Vice President of Programs, Emily R. White Hat (Sicangu Lakota).
Emily R. White Hat, J.D., (Nape Waste Win, “Good Hand Woman”) Sicangu Lakota, Aske Gluwipi Tiospaye, is the Vice President of Programs at the American Indian College Fund. She earned a juris doctorate degree and a natural resources law certificate from the University of New Mexico School of Law. White Hat has a bachelor’s degree in forestry with a concentration in fire science and a minor in rangeland ecology from Colorado State University, and an associate of arts degree in Lakota history and culture from Sinte Gleska University. In 2025, Emily participated in the Tribal Leaders Program at the Harvard Business School. Her experiences as a former firefighter, emergency medical technician, policy researcher, and legal background have all been vital to her work in program development and implementation with tribal nations and tribal colleges using a capacity-building approach. In 2015, Emily was recognized by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development as one of the “Native American 40 Under 40” award recipients.
American Indian College Fund Senior Program Officer for TCU Programs, Cassandra Harden (Diné).
Cassandra holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from the University of Northern Colorado and an associate’s degree in early childhood education from Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute. Her experience includes teaching children from ages one to five with strengths in classroom management, curriculum planning, and program support. Cassandra currently leads the Indigenous Early Childhood Education and the Indigenous Visionaries: Women’s Leadership programs at the American Indian College Fund. She maintains strong working relationships and communication with tribal college and university partners while maintaining content knowledge in early learning.
About the American Indian College Fund — The American Indian College Fund has been the nation’s largest charity supporting Native higher education for 35 years. The College Fund believes “Education is the answer” and provided more than $23 million in scholarships and other student support for higher education in 2024-25. Since its founding in 1989 the College Fund has provided more than $391 million in scholarships, programs, community, and tribal college support. The College Fund also supports a variety of 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. It earned a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, a Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid (formerly Guidestar), and the “Best in America Seal of Excellence” from the Independent Charities of America. The College Fund was also named as one of the nation’s top 100 charities to the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit collegefund.org.
Journalists—The American Indian College Fund does not use the acronym AICF. On second reference, please use the College Fund.
