Native American Studies Scholarships
Fred and Kay Voget Scholarship
Criteria: American Indian Students who are studying anthropology, with preference to those who are Crow or Hidatsa Nation members or members of another Montana tribe. If, in a given year, there is not a Native American student studying anthropology, the award may be given to an anthropology student of any ethnic origin who is studying American Indians. The number and amounts of the scholarship awards and the recipients thereof shall be determined by the Anthropology Department.
Scholarship Amount: Varies - approximately $1,900
Peter Left Hand Award
Criteria: Native American student who is from Montana. Selection will be based on scholarship and merit. Even though this fund is administered through the Department of Anthropology, the recipient need not be in that area of study.
Scholarship Amount: Varies - approximately $300
Ralph E. and Hulda M. Fields Native American Scholarship
Criteria: Native American students (according to tribal definitions). The awards are to be available to majors in the schools of forestry, journalism, law, and pharmacy.
With the following stipulations:
- The recipient must be enrolled full time at UM.
- At the time of application, each recipient must affirm to the donor and to the selection committee that the field he or she enters is his or her first career interest.
- In the later event that a recipient wishes to change his or her course of study and apply this scholarship to another major offered by UM, his or her request to do so must first be considered by the donor and the selection committee.
- The scholarships are renewable as long as the recipients are making reasonable and timely progress toward their degrees, and may in other circumstances be suspended or withdrawn by order of the donor and the selection committee.
Scholarship awards and amounts vary: Please contact department.
Viola O'Connor Memorial Scholarship
Criteria: American Indian students of one half or more American Indian blood.
Amount: $1,000
Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation Native American Graduate Fellowship
Criteria: Applicants must meet the following criteria: " Be accepted to a Master's or Doctoral Degree program at the Graduate School of The University of Montana (no law degree or medical related field, including pharmacy); " Have a minimum GPA of 2.5 for undergraduate and 3.0 during any graduate program work; " Submit a one page typed essay indicating reasons for pursuing graduate education and goals for application of education; " Graduate from a 4-year regionally accredited institution of higher learning anywhere in the United States; " Submit five letters of reference, including two from nonacademic individuals; " Have received an appropriate standardized test score, if required be program (GRE, GMAT); " Be a Montana resident, and; " Be a member of a Montana Federally Recognized Indian Tribe. $10,000
Helen Roberti Native American Graduate Scholarship Fund
Criteria: Students who are engaged in fulltime study, who are enrolled in, or accepted into, a graduate professional degree program at UM in law, education or a field with a Native American Studies focus of study (interdisciplinary, anthropology or history). The students must have a record of high academic achievement and/or potential and be Native American, either enrolled or a descendant.
Scholarship awards and amounts vary: Please contact department.
Earl Old Person Scholarship
Criteria: Enrolled member of the Blackfeet Tribe that meets the following criteria:
- Proof of enrollment at UM;
- Admission to UM for fall of award year;
- A recent high school graduate, or transfer graduate from the Blackfeet Community College, or a high school graduate who has never attended college;
- GPA of 3.0 (include recent transcript);
- Involvement in extra-curricular activities including cultural activities; and
- Submission of a 5-10 page essay that outlines the issues facing the Blackfeet tribe and how his or her education will help address these issues.
Scholarship Amount: $5,000
Owen D. and Ruth Stetson Speer Scholarship
Criteria: The recipient shall be Native American and from the Flathead Reservation. Further, the recipient should preferably be pursuing a degree in education, but if no such recipient is identified, any discipline may be considered. An appropriate committee appointed by the chair of the Native American Studies Department shall select the recipient. It is the donors' intent to give one meaningful award rather than two or more smaller awards, unless the fund grows such that the selection committee feels it would be wise to award more than one scholarship.be The scholarship may be renewed provided the recipient shows good academic progress.
Amount: $1,000
Anna Marie Lucas Scholarship
Criteria: Native American student enrolled full time at The University of Montana.
Amount: $600
George M. and Jane I. Dennison Scholarship
Criteria: Enrolled member of the Salish and Kootenai Confederated Tribes.
The recipient must:
- Have been admitted to The University of Montana for fall semester of the award year;
- Be enrolled for at least 16 credits;
- Have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better;
- Be involved in extra-curricular activities, including cultural activities, and
- Submit a 5-10 page essay about issues facing the Salish Kootenai and how the applicant's education will address these issues.
Scholarship Amount: Varies - approximately $1,800
Helen Roberti Humanities Graduate Scholarship for Native American Students
Criteria: Highly qualified Native American student seeking to pursue interdisciplinary Ph.D. studies in the humanities with a focus on native American history, culture or literature. The successful applicant will be selected by the faculty of UM's Native American Studies Department. In addition to three years of academic study, the Helen Roberti Scholar will participate in a one-year administrative internship with the president or dean at a Native American college. The recipient will be eligible to receive the award for three years, depending on satisfactory progress through his or her Ph.D. studies.
Scholarship Amount: Varies - approximately $1,900
Dennis and Gretchen Eck Native American Scholarship
Scholarship Amount: $4,170
Criteria: Enrolled member of the Assiniboine tribe or children of enrolled members. The recipient must be enrolled for at least 14 credit hours at The University of Montana and maintain a 3.0 grade point average as an upperclassman or 12 credit hours and a 2.5 grade point average as a freshman. He or she must demonstrate professional potential and academic ability.
If no enrolled members of the Assiniboine tribe nor children of such members are identified, then other Montana Native Americans may be considered.
Alice M. Phillips Scholarship
Criteria: Native American student at The University of Montana.
Recipient must be an enrolled member or child of an enrolled member of a Montana Indian tribe who has financial need and who is of good character. Preference will be given to Native American students who are committed to completion of University work, show an interest in the field of history, especially Montana history and who are of high moral character.
Scholarship Amount: Approximately $4,300
Francis and Florence Jones Greaves Native American Scholarship
Criteria: Entering freshman Native American students qualified and enrolling at The University of Montana. Preference should be given to Native Americans of Montana origin. Recipients may renew provided they make reasonable progress toward a degree and that they reapply for the scholarship. To the extent possible, the student's goals in terms of helping to advance Indian people should be a consideration in the selection of recipients. The number and amounts of the scholarship awards shall be determined by the native American Studies Scholarship Committee.
Amount: Varies - approximately $900
George Pease Native American Scholarship
Criteria: Native American students with a blood quantum recognized by a majority of the tribes in Montana for tribal membership, who are residents of the State of Montana, and who have shown, in equal measure, scholastic ability and financial need.
Scholarship awards and amounts vary: Please contact department.
Kate and Russell Stark Memorial Fund
Total Budget for Scholarships Given: Approximately $5,400
Criteria: The Kate and Russell F. Stark Memorial Fund is to assist and enhance the education of Native American graduate students enrolled at The University of Montana by funding an annual scholarship or scholarships or by providing counseling and guidance programs.
Scholarship awards and amounts vary: Please contact department.
Knute W. Bergan Scholarship
Criteria: Worthy Native American students who are an enrolled members, or a child of an enrolled member of any Indian tribe in the State of Montana.
Amount: Approximately $1,600 total budget
Alan P. Merriam Scholarship
Total Budget for Scholarships Given: Approximately $2,300
Criteria: Native American student at The University of Montana who is an incoming freshman, undergraduate or graduate student. The recipient must be a full-time student, must demonstrate an expressed interest in Native American studies (long-range goals are relevant), and must show evidence of high academic potential. Financial need is not a requirement.
Scholarship awards and amounts vary: Please contact department.
Sappenfield Scholarship
Criteria: Native American graduate student at The University of Montana. Preference should be given to a psychology major, but if there are no qualified psychology majors then a qualified student in another of the social sciences listed below, not in order of preference, may be considered: anthropology, communication studies, economics, geography, political science or sociology. The student should show promise for professional achievement or community service. The recipient should demonstrate an awareness or an interest in the improvement of conditions of Indians on and off the reservation. If no Native American graduate student can be identified who fits the criteria, persons of other ethnicity should be considered.
Scholarship Amount: Varies - approximately $1,000
Bonnie Heavy Runner Award
Total Budget for Scholarships Given: Approximately $200 for Native American studies portion.
Criteria: The purpose of the Bonnie Heavy Runner Scholarship is to provide 60 percent of the annual award amount to Native American students enrolled in the School of Law and 40 percent for Native American students enrolled in the Native American Studies Department.
A minimum of two cash awards are to be given to Native American students enrolled in the Native American Studies Department. These awards are intended to assist the students with expenses incurred at college other than tuition, to include, but not be limited to, travel, childcare and school supplies.
One award is to be given to a Native American student enrolled in the School of Law. This should be divided with 30 percent for tuition and 70 percent for other educational expenses, to include but not be limited to, travel, childcare and school supplies.
Preference for both portions of the funds shall be given to students with a current grade point average (at UM or from the school from which they are transferring) of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Recipients of these awards are to be determined by the NAS or Law scholarship selection committee, whichever is appropriate, and at least one member of Bonnie Heavy Runner's family.
Scholarship awards and amounts vary: Please contact department.
Burt and Eva Spaulding Scholarship and Opportunity Endowment
Criteria: The purpose of the Burt and Eva Spaulding Scholarship and Opportunity Endowment is to provide at least one scholarship each year and to apply the remaining available income toward the greatest need of Native American students.
Scholarship recipients can be undergraduate or graduate students. They must be deserving Native American students; it does not matter which tribe. The Native American Studies Department may determine the number of awards and amounts to be given, which may vary from year to year.
Any income that is available beyond the one or more scholarships that are awarded in a given year shall be used for the greatest benefit of Native American Students, for example, to provide emergency support (rent, babysitting), travel, a stipend to buy a computer, Kyi-Yo support or other needs as determined by the chair of the department.
Scholarship awards and amounts vary: Please contact department.
Marion E. Garess Scholarship
Criteria: Native American student who is attending The University of Montana full time. The recipient must be a deserving student as determined by the Native American Studies Scholarship Selection Committee.
Scholarship Amount: Varies - approximately $2,500
Julia Hendrickson Staffanson Scholarship
Criteria: Student enrolled full time at The University of Montana. The recipient must be Native American and must be deserving as determined by the Native American Studies Scholarship Selection Committee.
Scholarship Amount: Varies - approximately $2,500
Carl McFarland Scholarship Endowment
Criteria: Native American students at The University of Montana who are Montana residents. Amounts and terms of the scholarships are determined by the appropriate officials of UM.
Scholarship awards and amounts vary: Please contact department.
Hileman Family Scholarship
Criteria: Native American student who is enrolled full time at The University of Montana. The recipient must show promise and determination.
Scholarship Amount: Varies - approximately $1,000
