Home

Unique Scholarship Provides More Than Just Financial Aid 

   By Sampson Dewey

Partnership With Native American’s Program Provides Year-Round Support

I clearly remember the day I learned about Partnership With Native Americans and the scholarship they designed just for people like me.

It was during an event organized by the Native American Student Association at the University of Texas Arlington, and I stopped by the PWNA table and began chatting with staff. I was a junior working on my Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering.

Paying for college or any post-secondary degree is a struggle for most students but it’s more acute with Native students. I was no different.

When I talked to the PWNA staff, they shared details about the organization’s American Indian Education Fund (AIEF). They said not only would they provide financial support if I’m accepted, but they would help me throughout the year with thoughtful care packages. I jumped at the chance to participate.  

Education has always been important to me. And as a Native student, I knew the odds of attending college weren’t in my favor.

Native students face some of the lowest graduation rates of any racial or ethnic group in the United States, and the cost of higher education only makes the path more difficult. That’s why programs like AIEF are so important. As a program of PWNA, AIEF helps Native students with scholarships, care packages, and encouragement that make a real difference throughout their college journey.

The AIEF scholarship came at the perfect time. I was preparing to enter my senior year of university and searching for financial support to finish my degree. The application process was simple. I submitted my transcripts and shared more about my goals and community involvement. That accessibility made a big difference, especially for students like me who did not always fit the mold of other scholarship programs.

Thoughtful Care Packages

As I mentioned, AIEF is more than just financial support. About halfway through the semester, I received a care package filled with school supplies and hygiene items that could not have come at a better time.

This gesture may have been small but for me it meant one less thing to worry about, and for other students it could mean more study time or extra money saved. Later in the year, I received yet another package, and then, right before graduation, a final gift arrived: a note of congratulations and a small pin with the AIEF logo. I proudly wore that pin on my graduation sash as a reminder of the support that helped me earn my degree.

I’m not alone in this experience. Many other Native students, including the 2017 Miss Alaska, Alyssa London who is now an NBC News correspondent, have been AIEF scholarship recipients. These students are now community leaders and role models for other Native students. Knowing I was part of that larger community of Native scholars made me even more proud to be connected with this program.

Looking back, I see the AIEF scholarship as more than just helping with tuition. It gave me encouragement, a sense of community, and the confidence to keep going when things felt overwhelming. For Native students, that kind of support can be the difference between stopping short or walking across the graduation stage.

And my story is only one example of what AIEF is doing. Each year, AIEF provides hundreds of students with scholarships while also supporting younger students in reservation-based schools with backpacks and essential school supplies. AIEF also invests in leadership training, helping emerging Native leaders build skills that foster long-term solutions in their communities.

I’m grateful to be one of the many who benefitted from AIEF, and I know that with continued support, more Native students will have the chance to reach their goals, graduate, and give back to their communities.