Bureau of Indian Education Higher Education Grant
U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Education (administered by tribes and tribal organizations)
Need-based grant for members of federally recognized tribes going to an accredited college, applied for through your tribe
- How much
- varies by tribe and need (federal listing range $100-$300,000; average $30,000)
- Who qualifies
- Member of a federally recognized Indian tribe
- Enrolled or accepted at an accredited college; financial need as determined by the college's financial aid office. Graduate students: BIE funds a separate graduate program through the American Indian Graduate Center.
- For students starting college, undergrads
- Need-based: your FAFSA decides how much you get.
- When to apply
- Check dates Set by each tribe or tribal organization; contact your tribe for deadlines. Student applications processed 6-10 weeks after documents are submitted
- How to apply
- Contact your tribe's education office (or your BIE Education Line Officer) for the application
- Apply for financial aid at your college so the aid office can document need
- What you'll need
- FAFSA + membership
- Last checked
- October 5, 2026, against the official page (sam.gov) and page 2
The details
Federal grant (Assistance Listing 15.114) to help eligible American Indian and Alaska Native students attend accredited colleges. It pays part or all of eligible expenses such as tuition. Most of the time your tribe or tribal organization runs the program: you get the application from your tribe's education office, the tribe or BIE office decides awards, and funds go to you through your college's financial aid office. Awards depend on your financial need (set by the college's aid office) and on how much funding your tribe has. Federal listing range: $100 to $300,000, average $30,000 (FY2025-26).
More federal and national aid
- QuestBridge National College Matchfull four-year scholarship to a partner college (worth $360,000+; tuition, room/board, no loans)
- Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Programup to $55,000/yr for up to 4 years (last-dollar after institutional aid)
- Davidson Fellows Scholarship$100,000, $50,000, or $25,000 (one-time)
- Burger King Scholars Program$1,000 to $60,000 (most general-track awards $1,000 or $5,000; up to three $60,000 James W. McLamore WHOPPER Scholarships)
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)$37,000/yr stipend + $16,000/yr cost-of-education allowance to the school, for 3 years
Keep looking
We list programs; we don't decide who gets them. Always check the official page before you apply. Spot something wrong? Tell us.