Postsecondary Financial Aid for American Indians and Alaska Natives. Eric Digest... Ed438148... U.S. Department of EducationIh[electronic Resource].


Book Description

This digest summarizes challenges that American Indian and Alaska Native students face in obtaining adequate postsecondary financial aid and describes general sources of aid for Native students. The number of Native college students is growing rapidly, but obtaining adequate financial aid is the most serious obstacle to completing postsecondary education. Difficulties and barriers related to financial aid include: (1) extreme, sometimes complete, lack of family resources; (2) bureaucratic and paperwork hurdles; (3) unrealistic requirements for student earnings, given the high unemployment in Native communities; (4) unacknowledged costs, such as moving expenses, medical and child care costs, and necessary trips home; and (5) Native distrust of non-Native institutional officials. General categories of student financial aid include grants, scholarships, work-study programs, and loans. The federal Office of Postsecondary Education is the most common source of aid for Native undergraduates, with 34 percent receiving some type of federal aid. Some federal programs are designed specifically for Native students but may stipulate specific fields of study. Most aid given by college financial offices is based on need. Merit scholarships make up less than 5 percent of all aid, but some colleges earmark merit scholarships for minority students. Suggestions are offered on how Native communities can assist students in the financial aid process. Five publications and 10 Internet sites on financial aid are listed. (Contains 13 references.) (SV).







American Indians and Alaska Natives in Postsecondary Education


Book Description

This sourcebook is a comprehensive compilation of data on American Indian and Alaska Native participation in higher education, primarily 4-year and 2-year universities and colleges, including tribal colleges. Data cover undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty, as well as student outcomes following graduation. Data sources include the National Center for Education Statistics, the Bureau of the Census, and various published surveys and reports. The introduction explains terminology, data limitations, and structure of the sourcebook. Chapters cover: (1) American Indian and Alaska Native demography and a historical overview of Native American postsecondary education in the United States; (2) Native American access to higher education in terms of high school performance and graduation, scores on college entrance examinations, and student risk factors; (3) Native postsecondary enrollment, 1976-94, (by institution level and control and student sex, attendance status, degree level, major field of study, institution, and state), as well as student persistence and graduation rates; (4) degree completions, characteristics of degree recipients, and institutions awarding the largest number of degrees to Native Americans; (5) receipt and use of student financial aid; (6) American Indian and Alaska Native college faculty and staff, salaries, tenure, and distribution; and (7) historical overview and highlights of each of the 30 tribal colleges. Many data tables and figures are included. Appendices contain 80 references, supplemental data tables for the first six chapters, standard error tables, a glossary and list of acronyms, and over 200 additional sources of information. (SV)




The American Indian and Alaska Native Student's Guide to College Success


Book Description

Choosing the right college is a big decision for most people. American Indian and Alaska Natives are no exception, but finding a college that offers a good educational program in their major plus a strong support system for tribal traditions makes that decision even more complex. This volume will help Native people clarify their postsecondary aspirations, improve their college choice, and increase their success in college. After a thorough examination of the issues that should be considered, Pavel and Inglebret present the different types of colleges available, programs and services to meet the special needs of Native students, and financial aid options. By answering many of the basic questions students have about going to college, Pavel and Inglebret help to demystify the process and encourage more Native students to pursue a college education. Special features include: -A list of colleges with Native American studies, and those most friendly to Native Americans' needs -A list of sources for financial aid, with contact information -Interviews with Native American students on all aspects of their college experiences -Suggestions for students on how to balance their new college experiences with their community and heritage




Postsecondary Education for American Indian and Alaska Natives: Higher Education for Nation Building and Self-Determination


Book Description

American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) students continue to be significantly underrepresented in institutions of higher education and continue to face barriers that impeded their academic success. This volume explores the factors that influence college going in Indigenous communities and,upon enrollment in institutions of higher education, the factors that influence college completion. Chapters cover: The legacy of Western education in Indigemous communities The experiences of Indigenous students in the K-12 system Transition from student to faculty of AI/AN graduates Recommendations that can improve the success of Indigenous students and faculty This is the fifth issue the 37th volume of the Jossey-Bass series ASHE Higher Education Report. Each monograph in the series is the definitive analysis of a tough higher education problem, based on thorough research of pertinent literature and institutional experiences. Topics are identified by a national survey. Noted practitioners and scholars are then commissioned to write the reports, with experts providing critical reviews of each manuscript before publication.







Education Resources Handbook


Book Description

"The CIRI Foundation is a not-for-profit organization which was established by Cook Inlet Region, Inc. in 1982 to encourage the education and career development of Alaska Native enrollees of Cook Inlet Region and their descendants through postsecondary scholarships and grants, research and other education projects. The Education Resources Handbook is published by the Foundation in order to provide career and education planning information for the Foundation's Native beneficiaries as well as for other Alaska Natives and Native Americans who are interested in pursuing a successful career after high school. The book contains guidelines and tips on preparing to attend a postsecondary education program, including financial aid opportunities and reference materials about other educational support services at the postsecondary level"--P. [i].




Postsecondary Education for American Indian and Alaska Natives: Higher Education for Nation Building and Self-Determination


Book Description

After decades of national, state, and institutional initiatives to increase access to higher education, the college pipeline for American Indian and Alaska Native students remains largely unaddressed. As a result, little is known and even less is understood about the critical isues, conditions, and postsecondary transitions of this diverse group of students. Framed around the concept of tribal nation building, this monograph reviews the research on higher education for Indigenous peoples in the United States. It offers an analysis of what is currently known about postsecondary education among Indigenous students, Native communities, and tribal nations. Also offered is an overview of the concept of tribal nation building, with the suggestion that future research, policy, and practice center the ideas of nation building, sovereignty, Indigenous knowledge systems, and culturally responsive schooling.