The NIMA Corporation offers scholarships to its shareholders and descendants of shareholders enrolled in an accredited college, university, or VOC-ed/certification program. The following list outlines limits established for each course of study.
In the event a student enrolled in a degree-seeking, or vocational training program withdraws or does not successfully complete the semester/term, financial assistance may also be denied. For an applicant to continue to receive funding, the student has to maintain the following grade point averages for their course of study:
Graduate:3.0
Undergraduate/Voc-ed:2.0
In the event that a student is attending a certification program for which The NIMA Corporation extends financial assistance, a student will be required to submit proof of certification upon completion of the program to the NIMA Corporation to be eligible for future funding requests. Failure of the student to obtain certification may be used as a cause for denial for future funding requests.
If a student who has been funded by NIMA Corporation fails to maintain a satisfactory cumulative grade point average, funding will be discontinued until such time that the student’s cumulative grade point average is brought back up to the minimum acceptable level, at which time an official transcript for the school or training program will be required as proof.
Program
Semester/Term Limit
Annual Limit
Degree-Seeking Graduate
$4,000
$8,000
Degree Seeking Undergraduate
$2,500
$5,000
Vocational Education
$2,500
$5,000
Certification (i.e. welding)
$2,500
$5,000
Eligibility Requirements
A student must provide the following information to receive funding:
1. Proof of acceptance into a degree-seeking, vocational training, or certification program, in the form of an acceptance letter from the school on official letterhead.
2. Proof of enrollment as a full-time student.
3. Submit a completed NIMA scholarship application to the scholarship committee no later than the date stipulated on the scholarship application.
A copy of a completed academic or training schedule for the course of study from the students’ academic counselor must also be sent to the corporation by the end of the first semester of study for a degree-seeking student or within 90 days of the beginning of training for a VOC-ed, or certification student.
At the completion of each semester/term, it is the students’ responsibility to arrange their grades to be sent to the NIMA Corporation by their school, as proof of satisfactory progress, at which time if the student has met continued funding criteria, additional funding will be sent to the institution on behalf of the student, without requiring an additional application for the duration of the program for which the student is enrolled in.
Since these scholarships generally do not cover all educational expenses, students are encouraged and expected to investigate other loan and scholarship programs. Students should investigate the Alaska Student Loan Program and programs offered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.