FAQs

Am I eligible for an AEF scholarship?

To be eligible for an Arctic Education Foundation scholarship, applicants must:

Meet one of the Eligibility Classes:
- A Northern Alaska Inupiat Native of at least ¼ blood quantum currently residing in the Arctic Slope Region enrolled as a shareholder of the Arctic Slope Regional corporation (ASRC)
- An original 1971 ASRC shareholder
- A direct lineal descendant by blood or adoption of an original 1971 ASRC shareholder
Meet the following criteria:
- Have a high school diploma (or GED)
- At least 17 years old or 16 and legally emancipated
- United States citizen and United States resident
- Accepted to an accredited U.S. college, university, technical, or vocational school or program.
- NOT be a spouse, ancestor, lineal descendant (by blood or adoption) of a lineal descendant of any member of the Arctic Education Foundation Board of Directors

AEF scholarship is a need-based scholarship, which means that you must demonstrate that you are in need of financial assistance. AEF processes scholarship applications under the assumption that the student is also pursuing other sources of funding to support that financial need.

How do I apply for an AEF scholarship?

AEF no longer accepts paper applications. We recently migrated our applications to Kaleidoscope, where all applicants must now apply. If you are new to AEF scholarships and/or Kaleidoscope, you will be prompted to create a profile account. Be sure to use a personal email address as this is the primary form of contact we use to reach you regarding your scholarship. Be sure to regularly check your email after applying to minimize any processing delays.

To access the applications, please visit the Scholarship Programs page.

What documents will I need to apply for a scholarship?

NEW APPLICANTS: As a new applicant, the online application will ask you to provide the following documents:

A copy of your high school diploma or GED
Financial Need Sheet/Budget Forecast
Letter of Acceptance from the school
Your High School or most recent college transcript
Three letters of Recommendation
If an ASRC Shareholder, you will be asked to provide a copy of your ASRC shareholder card or an unofficial copy of your enrollment verification form.
- This may downloaded from your I Am Inupiaq profile. Once logged in, click on “Forms” at the top of the page.

CONTINUING STUDENTS: Those who have previously received AEF scholarships will need to submit the following updated documents:

Most recent funded transcript
Financial Need Sheet/Budget Forecast

**Note on Changes: If you change schools, programs, drop or withdraw from any classes, please call or email to make our team aware of these changes. Failure to notify us may delay processing for your scholarship or impact your eligibility for future funding.

When should I apply?

Each scholarship has a different application deadline. Please review each of the deadlines below to know when you need to submit your application and all documents to remain eligible for funding.

Higher Education Scholarships:
- Spring Semester/Winter Quarter: January 15
- Spring Quarter: March 15
- Summer Semester/Quarter: May 15
- Fall Semester/Quarter: August 15
Competitive Awards:
- June 30
Short-Term Training:
- 4-6 weeks prior to the training or program.
  - Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Students must apply prior to each deadline. No exceptions will be made for late applications.

What is a Need Sheet/Budget Forecast and why do you require it?

A financial need sheet or budget forecast is a form that is completed by your institution’s Financial Aid Office (FAO). It includes information about your financial expenses, such as tuition, fees, books, and room and board costs for the term, that our team uses to calculate your final scholarship amount.

A blank financial need sheet is available for you to download from the online application in Kaleidoscope. Once downloaded, send the form to your financial aid office to complete, then upload it into your application. AEF cannot process applications with self-entered budget information.

NOTE: Schools may require the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to be completed before providing you with a completed financial need sheet. Make sure you complete your FAFSA early enough to allow time for the Financial Aid Office to process your Student Aid Report.

What expenses does AEF cover?

As an educational scholarship foundation focused on preparing students for the workforce, we are unable to fund individual lessons such as music, martial arts, or similar personal enrichment activities. Our scholarships are for aiding in the development of career-related skills.

For Short-Term Training, scholarships do not cover travel, lodging, or meal accommodations. Eligible expenses include:

Cost of the training
Fees
Books or materials required by the training

For Higher Education, scholarships may cover the following eligible education expenses, typically awarded in the order given:

Tuition
Fees
Books/materials
Room/board (full-time students only; see notes below)

This means we apply the scholarship first to tuition costs, then fees, and then books. If any term funds remain after these have been covered, the rest may be awarded to assist with room and board costs.

In order for scholarship program sustainability, there are yearly limits set for each student. This limit is not a guaranteed amount, as the awarded amount is based on the student’s actual financial need.

** Notes on Room & Board **

To be eligible for room and board assistance, students must have a full-time-status course load and attending school outside of their area of residence. If living off-campus, students must submit a copy of their lease agreement. AEF does not provide room and board assistance for students who are paying mortgages, living with, or renting from their parents.

If the student’s term funds were completely expended for tuition, fees, and/or book costs, no room/board assistance will be awarded.

The IRS considers room/board awards taxable income. If you received room and board assistance, we advise you to check with your parents or a tax advisor to make sure you report this taxable income correctly.

If I’ve already paid for my expenses on my own can you give me a refund?

AEF scholarships are need-based, meaning that you have to demonstrate that you need the AEF scholarship in order to pay the costs to attend the school. Under our guidelines we are prohibited from reimbursing you for the payment if you have already paid for the expenses. We are also prohibited from reimbursing you for expenses related to any prior semesters already attended. This is why it is very important that you submit an application early giving yourself and AEF plenty of time to process any scholarships for which you are eligible.

Why does AEF need my transcript?

AEF uses your transcript to verify eligibility for scholarship funding. Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA, and those requesting room and board assistance must also be enrolled full-time. Transcripts help confirm your academic progress and enrollment status. Unofficial transcripts or grade reports are accepted with your application.

What happens if I don’t get good grades?

To remain eligible for funding, students must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA. If your GPA falls below this requirement, funding may be affected depending on your circumstances.

Students are granted a one-time grace period the first time they fall below a 2.0 GPA. The following semester or quarter, you may still receive funding with the expectation that your GPA will be raised to the minimum requirement by the end of the term.

If you have already used your grace period and did not meet the 2.0 GPA requirement, you will become ineligible for AEF funding until your GPA has been restored to at least a 2.0.

Options for AEF scholarship re-entry:
1.You can carry a full-time semester on your own. If you pull up your GPA to 2.0 or higher, you will be considered eligible again for full-time funding through AEF.
2.You can also carry a part-time semester on your own. If you pull up your GPA to 2.0 or higher, you will be considered eligible for part-time funding through AEF even if you plan to attend fulltime.
3.You can carry two or more part-time semesters on your own which, together, equal full-time. If you pull up your GPA to 2.0 or higher in both (all) of those semesters, you will be considered eligible again for full-time funding through AEF. AEF will generally not provide notice that you are using your one-time grace period. After your one-time grace period has been exhausted if your grades drop below 2.0 you will not be eligible for AEF funding again until you have demonstrated a 2.0 or higher GPA. To ensure continuous eligibility for AEF funding it is best to maintain a 2.0 or higher GPA at all times.

What happens if I drop a class?

AEF supports both part-time and full-time students; however, you are responsible for maintaining the enrollment status for which you were awarded funding throughout the semester or quarter. If you drop a class and your status changes from full-time to part-time, you may be required to repay a portion of your scholarship funds.

Room and board assistance is available only to full-time students. If dropping a class causes you to lose full-time status, you are expected to repay the room and board portion of your award. Failure to repay owed funds may affect your eligibility for future AEF funding.