How can I get college funds for my Native American Heritage?

Question

I belong to the Narragansett tribe of indians from Rhode Island. Being told I would recieve all my college funding from them I didn't really apply to scholarships because I was told I didn't need to. Well guess what I should have, my tribe has no money to give me. Is there any other program or grant that can give me money for college for my heritage or am I pretty much out of luck?

Answer 1

First, you need to be a "registered member" of the tribe or prove that you have a certain level of blood quantum.  Simply saying you have Native American heritage will not be sufficient.  

Once you have the paperwork stating your blood quantum, you can go to the financial aid office of the college you attend.  The counselor will let you know all of the financial resources available to you.   If you are still in high school, then you will have an admission advantage based on your heritage.

Here is a good site with other resources:

http://www.finaid.org/otheraid/natamind....

I am a school counselor and have worked with hundreds of students and parents.  The same questions about how to find the right college or plan for college keep coming up.  I decided to set up some online classes (self paced) to answer many of your questions and activities to help in the process.  My site is located at globalscholar.com and type in my name "Kerrie."

Answer 2

You can't get scholarships you don't apply for.  Ouch!  What a hard lesson to learn.  Try again next year.