Indigenous Teacher Preparation Fund Scholarships

The School of Education Indigenous Teacher Preparation Fund provides scholarships for Native American undergraduates preparing to become inclusive education teachers. This scholarship recognizes the critical need for Indigenous teachers in schools serving predominantly Indigenous communities—especially for those trained in inclusive education at the elementary level—and that young Indigenous students seeing themselves represented in their teachers is a crucial element for academic success.

Who Qualifies?

Indigenous Teacher Preparation Fund scholarships are reserved for qualified, admitted, first-year and transfer students enrolled in any Native American nation in the US and Canada (with SOE support for reciprocal teacher certification if needed), with a preference for students from the Haudenosaunee nations. Scholarship recipients enroll in either of the School of Education’s bachelor’s degree teacher preparation programs: Inclusive Childhood Education or Inclusive Adolescent Education. Students eligible for the Syracuse University Indigenous Pathways Grant programs may apply.

What Does the Scholarship Cover?

The Indigenous Teacher Preparation Fund scholarship pays for a maximum of 30% of an individual student’s tuition.

To Be Eligible a Student Must:

• Be an admitted first-year or transfer student.
• Be a certified citizen of a US Indigenous Nation or Canadian First Nation, including one of the historic Haudenosaunee nations (Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, or Tuscarora).
• Be in pursuit of their first bachelor’s degree.
• File for financial aid by published deadlines.
• Maintain full-time academic status (12 credits per semester) and meet the satisfactory academic progress standards of the University.

Certificate of Eligibility/Scholarship Application

Support for Indigenous Students

At Syracuse University, Indigenous student teachers will find a welcoming campus community and rich academic programs with faculty, staff, and alumni who are invested in helping students succeed.

Opportunities Open to All Indigenous Students Include:

• Native Student Program
• Indigenous Students at Syracuse
• Indigenous Living Learning Community
• Indigenous Alumni Mentor Program—match and connect with a mentor via this form or contact Matt Wheeler, Director of Employer and Alumni Engagement, College of Arts and Sciences.

Additional Academic Support and Opportunities for Indigenous Teacher Preparation Students:

• A dedicated School of Education Academic Advisor
• Additional funding for Study Abroad
• Minor in Native American and Indigenous Studies (dependent on major requirements/transfer credits)
• Iroquois Linguistics for Language Learners Certificate
• NYSED Indigenous Culture and Language Studies Certificate (Qualified students may apply on their own)

Apply to Syracuse University as a Native American or Indigenous Student and learn more about why Syracuse is a place for Native students to thrive.

For More Information:

Tammy Bluewolf-Kennedy ’04, G’10
Assistant Director, Partnership Programs and Indigenous Recruitment
Syracuse University Office of Admissions
tbluewol@syr.edu