The Center for Tribal Studies offers a variety of services to enhance the academic experience of students in a supportive environment that values the traditions of American Indian cultural heritage. The Center facilitates program development, cultural enrichment, student support, and professional development opportunities for the University community.

The Center serves all students, but administers many programs that are specifically designed to increase the educational attainment of American Indian populations. By nurturing educational leadership, cultural enrichment, and professional development among students, leaders and scholars emerge, many of whom will serve in professions benefiting tribal governments and communities.

Center for Tribal Studies provides the following student services:

• Assist and support American Indian student organizations
• Participate in campus wide activities to inform students of services (such as workshops, class presentations, new student orientation, career fairs, welcome week, homecoming, and year-end activities)
• Provide year-round student scholarship/financial aid advisement
• Provide up-to-date scholarship manual in cd format
• Recruit and assist with applications for summer internships
• Provide application process workshops (i.e., Indian Health Service, Gates, etc.)
• Recruitment activities at schools, career fairs, and conferences
• Public relations to showcase student advancement/achievement
• Facilitate student participation in pre-admission workshops, campus visits, etc.
• Presentations on choosing and applying to graduate schools
• Professional development workshops on resume writing, personal statements, etc.
• Facilitate student participation in national conferences
• Facilitate student presentation of research projects (local, state, national)
• Referrals to other help resources (tutoring, counseling, childcare, health facilities)
• Recommendations for awards, recognitions, jobs on campus
• Coordinate volunteer services and service learning
• Administer scholarship programs
  

Trail of Tears Scholarship

The Center for Tribal Studies assists the Cherokee Higher Education Foundation in awarding the Trail of Tears Scholarship to Cherokee students. Scholarships are awarded each year to students of any major and any undergraduate classification who possess the scholarship criteria, apply for the scholarship and are selected by the Foundation. To be eligible, students must:

• Be of Cherokee descent and submit a copy of the Cherokee Nation membership (CDIB) card


• Possess an overall 3.0 college/university grade point average, or ACT Score of 21 or upper 10% of class for incoming freshman


• Submit a completed application form


• Submit a current college/university or high school transcript


• Submit a one-page typed biography with a current photo.


• Be classified as a full time undergraduate student at a college or university


• Submit two letters of reference to turn in with completed application

The mission of the Cherokee Higher Education Foundation is to provide educational opportunities to the citizens of the Cherokee Nation with primary emphasis on recognizing and rewarding outstanding academic and leadership accomplishment.

Deadline for the Trail of Tears Scholarship is June 1. Applications are available at the Center for Tribal Studies, the Scholarship Office, and can be downloaded here:

TSALAGITRAILOFTEARSAWARD.doc (Microsoft Word format)
TSALAGITRAILOFTEARSAWARD.pdf (Adobe Acrobat format)