Indian Education Professionals
Your guidance makes a difference. This page gives you everything you need to help students through the Cobell application process: downloadable resources, culturally grounded tips, and answers to the questions your students will ask you.
At a glance
A quick reference for conversations with students. If they meet these criteria, encourage them to apply.
The student must be an Enrolled member of a U.S. Federally-recognized American Indian Tribe or Alaska Native Corporation. They'll select their tribe from a dropdown during the application.
Four-year universities, community colleges, tribal colleges, vocational programs, and trade schools all qualify. It doesn't have to be a traditional degree.
Returning adults, non-traditional students, and career changers are all welcome. There is no age cutoff for any Cobell scholarship.
Students don't need to be enrolled full-time. Part-time students balancing work, family, or other responsibilities can still apply and receive awards.
Students receiving Pell Grants, tribal scholarships, or other financial aid are still eligible. Cobell awards work alongside other funding sources.
Most Cobell scholarships don't require a minimum GPA. A few advanced awards (fellowships) may have academic requirements, but the majority do not.
Resources you can use today
Presentation decks, reference sheets, and guides — ready to download, print, and share with students and colleagues.
PDF · 1 page, printable
All six scholarship cycles on one page with open and close dates. Pin it above your desk or stick it on the fridge.
PDF · 1 page, printable
A single-page summary of all six scholarship types — who they're for, award amounts, and deadlines. Great for comparing your options at a glance.
PDF · 2 pages, printable
Step-by-step screenshots showing how to create your account, fill out the eligibility form, and submit your first application.
Questions we hear from professionals
Counselors, advisors, and tribal education staff ask us these all the time. Here are the straightforward answers.
Yes — and we encourage it. You can sit with a student, help them understand the questions, and guide them through OASIS. The application needs to come from the student's own account and reflect their own words, but having a trusted adult in the room makes a real difference in completion rates.
That's completely fine. Eligibility requires being an Enrolled member of a U.S. Federally-recognized American Indian Tribe or Alaska Native Corporation, regardless of which state the tribe is located in or where the student lives. A student in Oklahoma who belongs to a Montana tribe is just as eligible.
Absolutely. Tribal colleges, community colleges, vocational and trade programs, and technical schools all qualify. Cobell funds students across every type of accredited, nonprofit institution — not just four-year universities.
OASIS is the online portal where students create an account, complete an eligibility form, get matched with scholarships, and submit applications. Students can save their progress and return anytime. We have a step-by-step guide with screenshots you can download from the resources section above.
Yes. After completing the eligibility form, OASIS will show every scholarship the student qualifies for. They can — and should — apply to all of them. Each scholarship has its own application, but much of the information carries over.
Applications are reviewed after each scholarship's deadline closes. Students are notified of their status through OASIS and via the email on their account. If selected, they'll need to accept the award through OASIS before the acceptance deadline.
Reach out to us directly and let us know what you need, such as handouts, presentation decks, and more. We can ship physical materials to your school or send digital files you can print locally.
For privacy reasons, we can't share individual application statuses with counselors or educators. However, we can work with your school or tribal education department to provide aggregate data — like how many students from your institution applied or received awards — if the students consent.
Still need help?
Whether you need materials for an upcoming event, want us to join a virtual info session, or just have a question about how the program works — we're here. The more Indian Education professionals know about Cobell, the more students we reach.
