Travel Scholarships Available for the 2016 Leadership Summit In Rochester, MN

Post Date: February 5 2016

AISES is pleased to announce that it will begin accepting applications for travel scholarships to this year’s Leadership Summit in Rochester, MN April 14-16, 2016. These scholarships will provide support to students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.  Applicants must be full-time undergraduate or graduate students at an accredited four-year college/university or a full-time student at a two-year college enrolled in a program leading to an academic degree.

For more information about the Leadership Summit, please go to: http://www.aises.org/news/events/2016-leadership-summit

Award Amount:  Travel scholarships will help cover the following expenses incurred: round-trip airfare (or mileage if local), lodging costs (roommates will be assigned) and conference registration fees.  Please be aware that scholarships vary in size and individual student travel costs also vary depending on departure city, airline pricing, etc.  Students in more rural/distant locations often have travel costs that exceed the scholarship award and should budget accordingly. AISES will pay for the following costs directly: 
  1. Scheduled roundtrip airfare
  2. Hotel accommodations; students will be assigned a roommate to keep costs down
  3. Registration fee

Meals, not provided at the Conference, parking fees, and transportation to the airport are the student’s responsibility.  Expenses that exceed the scholarship are the student’s responsibility.  AISES will only provide lodging for three (3) nights on April 14-16, 2016.  Students’ travel days will be Thursday, April 14th and Sunday, April 16, 2016.

Students are expected to attend all events and to abide by the AISES Code of Conduct:

Failure to attend all scheduled events and violating the AISES Code of Conduct may result in the forfeiture of all or a portion of the scholarship.  Alcohol and drug use is not permitted at AISES events.

Eligibility   Applicants MUST meet all of the following criteria: 

  1. Must have a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or higher cumulative grade point average (GPA).  Latest Official Transcripts (issued by your school registrar’s office) will be required.
  2. Must be a full-time (12 credit hours or more) student at a two- year or four-year college or university, enrolled in a program leading to an academic degree (not a certificate) in a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) field.
  3. Must be a member of an American Indian tribe or otherwise considered to be an American Indian by the tribe with which affiliation is claimed; or is Alaskan Native; or considered to be an Alaskan Native by an Alaskan Native group to which affiliation is claimed; or is a Native Hawaiian.  Or, if not enrolled, have a federal Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood or Certificate of Degree of Alaska Native Blood indicating at least a 25% blood quantum.  Official Documentation identifying the student must be provided.
  4. Must be a member of AISES to apply.  To obtain an AISES membership go to http://www.aises.org/membership/

Application Deadline:  The application deadline is Friday, February 19, 2016, at 11:59 p.m. MDT.

Notification:  Notification of scholarship awards will be made no later than February 26, 2016.  If you do not hear back from AISES by then, please call or email (preferred).

Application Process:
AISES only accepts applications submitted online via our online scholarship platform, https://aises.starsscholarshipsonline.com/stars/default.aspx.

A general application form is completed by the student online. No paper applications are accepted. This general application requires the student to complete questions and submit documents that are relevant to for the travel scholarship.

Students will create an account in the system. They will create their own user name and password, which they may use any time to re-access the system. This access is key, as students are responsible for ensuring that their documents and other requirements are in the system and that the information is up-to-date, especially contact information. AISES program staff and the scholarship platform communicate primarily via email, thus email addresses should be current and email checked regularly, if an email address changes, it is the student’s responsibility to inform AISES program staff.   

AISES does not inform students if their application is incomplete. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that requested and appropriate documentation has been uploaded or received by the system. Likewise, the student applicant must follow-up with registrar’s offices, etc., to ensure they are aware of deadlines and to allow sufficient time to get required documents in time. In order to keep the process fair and equitable, no exceptions are made for missed deadlines, as other applicants have worked hard to get their info in on time. 

Students will submit a short essay regarding why they would like to attend the Leadership Summit and how attending would contribute to their professional development.

Required Documents include: 1) transcripts (copies of official or unofficial transcripts), 2) official proof of tribal membership, 3) official spring semester/term enrollment verification, and 4) a current resume.

For more information about these travel scholarships, please contact Melanee Stevens at 720-552-6123 or email her at mstevens@aises.org.