Scholarships for Native Americans
ABOUT THE AWARD
The CATCHING THE DREAM (CTD), formerly known as the Native American Scholarship Fund, is a set of Scholarships for Native Americans aimed to provide the Native American tribes, organization and community a chance for higher education to grow and succeed in professional life. The aim of the award is to “Prepare Exemplary Students to become Native Scholars”. The Native American scholarships and grants are spread across various fields of study including engineering, business, technology, medical, administration, banking and many more.
There are three different CTD Native American college scholarships which are listed below.
MESBEC Program
This program is the oldest of the CTD programs and is given for the six priority field of study Mathematics, Engineering, Science, Business, and Education & Computers. These study areas are the priority fields for the tribe and hence the award name is based on the fields. Very few tribal graduates are present in these studies currently. Medical studies are also included in this program.
NALE Program
The Native American Leadership Education (NALE) program is for students who are paraprofessionals and plan to complete their degree in education, counseling or administration. The program aims to have more tribal teachers to lead educational growth.
TBM Program
The Tribal Business Management (TBM) program is to get economic development for the tribes by sponsoring the students to choose business, finance, management, economics, banking, hotel management and related fields.
APPLICATION CRITERIA
All the CTD scholarships for Native American students programs are operated at national level and are available to the Native Americans that are enrolled member of the US tribe. The scholarship requirements for the students are as below:
•Must be ¼ or more degree American Indian
•Currently attending or planning to attend a College or University in the US on full-time basis
•Must have excellent academic record, high ACT or SAT scores, with leadership capabilities and commitment for community
•Must apply for other sources for financial aid including federal financial aid, private scholarships & others
•Need to have clear goals for the future to enhance the quality of life for the tribes
The CTD Scholarships for Native Americans are in the range of $500 to $5,000 per academic year and are awarded based on merit and to the students that are likely to improve the lives of tribal community. The application form is available at the website and is mandatory to be used. The deadline for the Native American Scholarship (CTD Scholarship) application process is as below:
•April 15 for fall
•September 15 for spring
•March 15 for summer
Note – It is mandatory to call/mail the organization at the below address before applying.
Catching the Dream
Attn: Scholarship Affairs Office
8200 Mountain Road NE., Suite 203,
Albuquerque, NM 87110
Phone: (505)262-2351 ext. 116
Email:NScholarsh@aol.com
CLOSURE NOTE
The CTD believes that “Education is the seed that provides spiritual and individual growth” and ensures that the stage is provided to the tribal students to grow individually & help the community also grow. All of the above Native American College Scholarships for the tribes are one such medium to sow the seed.
Morris Udall Scholarship for Native Americans is a Unique Scholarship