American Indian Endowed Scholarships

Scholarship Sponsored by Washington Student Achievement Council

2026–27 applications now open: The American Indian Endowed Scholarship (AIES) is accepting applications through Monday, March 2, 2026. See the How to Apply section below for submission instructions.

Overview
The AIES provides financial support to students who demonstrate need and maintain strong social and cultural connections to an American Indian community in Washington State. Awards may be used at Washington public colleges and many independent colleges. While preference is given to upper-division undergraduates and graduate students, applicants at all levels are eligible for consideration.

Award amounts typically range from about $500 to $3,000. Each year, approximately 10–15 recipients are selected. Students may receive AIES funding for up to five years total, but must submit a renewal application annually to be considered for additional funding.

Many former recipients pursue careers in law, medicine, education, business, and natural resource management. Recipients have returned, or intend to return, to their tribal communities in Washington to serve and support Indian peoples in the state.

Eligibility
To be eligible, applicants must meet all of the following requirements:
- Demonstrate financial need by completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).
- Satisfy Washington State residency requirements for financial aid. (Tribal members should review the “Other ways to meet residency requirements” section on the residency requirements page for additional guidance.)
- Plan to enroll full-time, as an undergraduate or graduate student, at a participating public or private college or university in Washington State beginning in the fall term of the application year.
- Intend to use their education to benefit the American Indian community in Washington State.
- Not be pursuing a degree in theology.
- Not have already received five years’ worth of this scholarship.

How to apply
Applications for the 2026–27 AIES cycle must be submitted to the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) by Monday, March 2, 2026.

Follow these steps:
1. Download and read the application instruction sheet.
2. Visit the AIES Portal to create a login ID and password, or sign in if you already have an account, to access the online scholarship application.
3. Complete the online form and upload all required supporting documents to the Portal.
4. Renewal applicants must download the Institutional Certification for Renewal Applicant form (available in PDF or Word). Have the applicant’s institutional advisor complete this form and return it to the applicant for upload to the online application.
5. You may work on the application across multiple sessions. Remember to save your progress before exiting the Portal and return later to finish and submit your application.

For more details, refer to the instruction sheet and the AIES Portal pages.