AISES Scholarship Policies

Scholarship/Internship OASIS Policies

AISES collects and, when necessary, releases appropriate information about the awarded scholars for scholarship evaluation and research. The applicant must maintain current information to remain eligible and contact AISES if there are any changes in their academic profile, including a change of institution, enrollment status, or academic record. By submitting personal information, the student will be matched to scholarship opportunities for which they are qualified for; and the student must additionally apply to a specific opportunity to be considered. Indigenous Education, Inc., and AISES do not share information with other groups for solicitations. 

According to federal FERPA laws and regulations, AISES under no circumstances will representatives of Indigenous Education, Inc., nor AISES discuss student applications or scholarship files and their contents with anyone other than the student. Upon inquiry, Indigenous Education, Inc. and AISES may verify the student's identity through a series of questions. Education professionals may have access to portions of applications as qualified and screened reviewers who also adhere to FERPA laws and regulations. 

The individuals who cannot access student information include parents, grandparents, spouses, extended family members, state, local, and tribal government representatives, and tribal scholarship department representatives. Institution representatives may contact Indigenous Education, Inc., AISES, and vice versa to assess financial and academic eligibility.

Acceptance of Scholarship/Internship Awards

Upon selection as a finalist for an AISES scholarship award, the student must accept the award in the OASIS System AND provide the post-acceptance documents required for the award within the specified timeframe of notification from the Student Success Team. The AISES Student Success Team will do their due diligence to send notification reminders through emails, texts, and phone calls to the student within this time frame to complete their post-acceptance requirements. However, after this time allowance has passed, the scholarship may be revoked. 

Renewal of Scholarships

During the renewal period of the scholarships, all renewal documents will be reviewed to verify that students meet the eligibility requirements of their scholarship. To renew scholarships, all scholars must maintain specific overall grade point averages (GPA) and earn at least the minimum credit hours during the academic semester/quarter (fall/autumn, spring/winter).
  • If a student does not meet the eligibility requirements, the student may have their scholarship revoked. Depending on the student's circumstances, the Director of Student Success Services decides whether a student will continue to receive the scholarship for the remainder of the academic year. 
  • Suppose a student fails to respond to notifications from the AISES Scholarship Team to submit their renewal documents. In that case, they will not receive their scholarship disbursement for the Spring term/quarter until all required documents are received. 
  • If students graduate at the end of the semester and are enrolled less than full-time, they may be granted permission to receive their scholarship for their last semester.
  • If a student does not achieve the earned credits during the fall/autumn or spring/winter quarter/semester, they will not be allowed to make up the difference in full-time status hours in the following semester. 
  • Suppose a student withdraws from a course before completing it or receives an 'F' or 'I' for the course (or another grade that does not count as earned credit hours). In that case, those courses will not count as earned credit hours for your renewal requirements.
  • Repeating courses during the same academic year will impact earned credit hours. Credit for a course retaken during the same academic year to improve a grade or for any other purpose will only be counted once towards meeting the requirement for the minimum credit hours.
  • Credits earned before the first semester receiving the scholarship do not count toward the earned credit hour requirement but do count toward the overall GPA. Dual enrollment courses taken during high school and credit through the Advanced Placement (AP) Program are two examples of credit that would not be used toward meeting the minimum credit hour requirement.
  • If a student withdraws from all courses for the semester after their institution's refund date, they will be required to return all the semester/quarter scholarship(s) funds to AISES. 

Deferment of Scholarship/Internship Awards

AISES requires scholarship awardees to maintain continuous fall and spring semester enrollment during their funding period. Students who will not be continuously enrolled must request a deferment of their scholarship(s) as soon as reasonably possible when an unanticipated leave is required due to mental or physical illness, injury, disability, or other extreme unforeseen circumstances. A deferment is used when a student is not enrolled for one or more fall/spring semesters in which a scholarship is offered. Scholarship Deferments are only available for students currently receiving a scholarship; Internship Deferments are not available. 
 
Deferments extend semesters of eligibility only. They do not increase the amount of the award in any semester. Students must notify AISES of their return to their institution, and students must return in the semester immediately following the completion of the approved deferment. 
 
The deferred scholarship(s) payments will be disbursed by semester with the period of the academic year the student was placed on deferment. The deferred scholarship payment is no longer valid and will not be paid. If a deferred student reapplies and is awarded for the same scholarship in which they were granted deferment, the student will only receive the current scholarship amount. 
 
AISES considers each deferment request independently according to the circumstances of the request. Common examples of situations giving rise to a request for deferment include, but are not limited to:  
  • Religious missions
  • Involuntary U.S. military service (in the event of a military crisis or when the draft is in effect)
  • Internships related to the major and future career goals of the student
  • Student's own medical or physical illness, injury, or disability 
  • Other extenuating circumstances that are beyond the student's control