Education Scholarship Application

2027 United Tribes of North Carolina American Indian Unity Conference
March 3–6, 2027

Hilton Raleigh North Hills, 3415 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh, NC

APPLICATION WINDOW: October 1, 2026 – January 31, 2027

DEADLINE: 11:59 pm, January 31, 2027

Welcome students! United Tribes of North Carolina is proud to support American Indian students pursuing higher education. We encourage eligible students from across North Carolina to apply. Applications are competitive, and selected recipients will receive a $1,000 scholarship. Read below to find out how to apply and about our new athletic participation consideration!

ELIGIBILITY

To enter, applicant must be an American Indian residing in North Carolina AND enrolled North Carolina state-recognized tribe or a federally recognized tribe in North Carolina. A copy of tribal enrollment card must be attached with application. Youth under 18 who do not have a tribal enrollment card but participate in an Indian Ed program may submit a letter from the student's Indian education office to verify that the student is enrolled with a complete, active 506 form on file. Entry will be disqualified if no proof of tribal membership in a federally or state-recognized tribe (card or proof of active 506) is provided with application.

*NC state or federally recognized tribes and organizations: Catawba Nation, Coharie Indian Tribe, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe, Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, Meherrin Indian Tribe, Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, Sappony, Waccamaw-Siouan Indians.

ELIGIBILITY/WHO MAY APPLY

You must be an American Indian residing in North Carolina AND enrolled in a North Carolina state-recognized tribe or a federally recognized tribe in North Carolina.
You must provide proof of tribal enrollment. If you are under 18, do not have a tribal enrollment card, and participate in an Indian Education program, you may provide a letter from your Indian Education office verifying that you have a complete, active 506 form on file.
You must be an incoming freshman enrolling in a two-year or four-year college or university, or a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior currently enrolled and attending a two-year or four-year college or university.
You must be enrolled as a full-time student.
You must apply for other sources of funding for which you are eligible.
If you previously received the United Tribes scholarship, you are not eligible to receive it again in any category.

THINGS TO KNOW

Winners will be announced on Saturday, March 6th, 2027, at 8:00 am at the 52nd Annual Unity Conference Awards Breakfast held at the Hilton Raleigh North Hills, Raleigh, NC.
Applications are competitive. This year, United Tribes of North Carolina will match the sponsor's contribution to award the winner applicants a $1,000 scholarship.
The screening committee will use a point system to score the applications on academic achievement, grade point average, career plans, American Indian activities, extracurricular activities, community involvement, references, and essay. If you leave an item incomplete, you will lose points for that item, as you are scored on a point system.
Application is online only.

NEW! ATHLETIC PARTICIPATION & SCORING CONSIDERATION. Students who participate in organized athletics are encouraged to include their sports involvement as part of their extracurricular activities. Applicants may provide information about their participation, leadership, accomplishments, and overall commitment to athletics. Because participation in athletics can require a significant commitment of time for practice, training, competitions, and travel, the scholarship scoring process will take this commitment into consideration. Students who demonstrate substantial and consistent athletic involvement will not be penalized solely for having fewer volunteer or community service hours. Athletic participation will be considered when evaluating the applicant's overall extracurricular involvement and level of engagement outside of academics.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Please have ready and prepared before applying:

Proof of tribal enrollment or letter from your Indian Education office if under 18
Completed Academic Certification signed by a counselor or principal.
Three letters of recommendation: one from a community leader, one from a school counselor or advisor, and one from a teacher or instructor; family members may not serve as references
One-page typed essay to the prompt (Word or pdf)

Essay Requirements: One page maximum • Typed • Written in your own words

How has being Native American shaped who you are today, and how do you hope to use your education, experiences, and talents to make a positive impact in the future? In your response, you may discuss your cultural identity, personal experiences, challenges you have overcome, people who have influenced you, your educational or career goals, and the ways you hope to give back to your community.