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Background (Article 83, Education Law)

In 1953, the New York State Legislature authorized Education Law Section 4118 which provides funding for students from tribal nations located within the State. Eligible students can receive grant awards for attending any approved, accredited postsecondary institution in New York State. Students also may receive student aid for less than four years of study and for part-time study.

Eligibility (Commissioner's Regulations Subpart 145-4)

In order to be eligible to receive New York State Indian Aid, a student must meet the following criteria:Ìý

• The student must be a resident of New York State and be on an official tribal roll of a New York State tribe or be the child of an enrolled member of a New York State tribal nation.Ìý New York State tribes include members of the Haudenosaunee tribes (St. Regis Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca Nation, Tonawanda Band of Seneca, and Tuscarora), the Shinnecock tribe, and the Unkechaug tribe.Ìý An official tribal roll is a list of individuals designated by the tribal authorities as members of their tribe.
• The student must have graduated from an accredited high school or attained a high school equivalency diploma.
• The student must be enrolled in an approved program offered by a college, university, technical school, school of nursing, business, or trade school located in New York State.Ìý Approved programs include collegiate and noncollegiate programs which are registered by the ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ.

There are no age restrictions on eligibility for New York State Indian Aid.

New York State Indian Aid will not be paid toward enrollment in the following types of courses:Ìý remedial, noncredit-bearing, or college preparation courses.Ìý Aid also will not be paid when students are repeating or auditing courses.

Application (Commissioner's Regulations Subpart 145-4)

Eligible students must apply to the State Education Department to receive New York State Indian Aid.Ìý Students should submit application materials before July 16 for the fall semester, November 30th for the winter semester, January 4th for the spring semester, and May 20 for the summer semester. Application materials can be submitted via ²¹²Ô²âÌýof three methods:

1. Email attachments to IndigenousEducation@nysed.gov;
2. Fax to 518-474-3666; or
3. Physical mail to the following mailing address:

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Office of Indigenous Education
89 Washington Avenue
EB 2W Mezzanine
Albany, NY 12234

Email submissions are preferred due to speed of delivery. To ensure receipt, please indicate your full name in the subject line of the email, followed by the semester and year for which you are applying and the phrase "New Student Application" or "Request Form" as appropriate. If sending documents via email, the Office of Indigenous Education recommends using a document scanner to capture information in PDF form instead of using a camera.Ìý

The following application materials are required for New Student Applications:

• A completed application form;
• An official transcript of the high school scholastic record of the student or a copy of the student's High School Equivalency Diploma or an official statement from the college attesting to enrollment in a special 24-credit hour high school equivalency program or a college transcript if the student has completed on or more semesters at the college level;
• A FERPA form indicating whether or not the student is choosing to consent to share their NYSIA information with parent(s), guardian(s), or other authorized proxies;
• A brief essay (two pages maximum) outlining the student's educational and career goals;
• Proof of tribal enrollment issued by the tribal nation; and
• Proof of enrollment at the post-secondary school they are attending.

Students who are minors must have the signature of a parent or guardian approving their stated educational plan.

Student Responsibilities (Commissioner's Regulations Subpart 145-4)

Funding is contingent upon satisfactory progress (2.00 semester GPA) toward a degree or certificate requirements.Ìý Students who receive New York State Indian Aid are required to submit their grades to the Office of Indigenous Education at the end of each semester for which funding is received.

For each subsequent semester that students wish to receive aid, they must notify the Office of Indigenous Education of their interest in aid via a Request Form, proof of enrollment at the college at which they will be enrolled, and the number of credit hours taken.Ìý This can be done by completing a Request Form for New York State Indian Aid on or before the application deadlines noted above.

Students also are responsible for notifying the Office of Indigenous Education, in writing and in a timely manner, of any change in student status, program, or institution enrollment.

Other Funding Sources

Students also should contact Tribal/Nation Scholarship Offices, theÌý, and financial aid offices at the colleges to which they are applying for information on additional sources of student financial aid.

The Office of Indigenous Education website also has a current list of resources on our Scholarship and Grant Programs page.

Funding Procedure

Eligible students can receive grant awards for up to four years of full-time study (five years for specific programs requiring five years to complete degree requirements).Ìý Students enrolled in institutions on the trimester or quarter system must be enrolled for at least 24 credit hours per year.Ìý Students registered for less than 12 credit hours per semester or 24 credit hours per year will be considered part-time and will be funded on a prorated basis.

Payment Procedure

The State Education Department sends participating colleges payment vouchers for each fall, winter, spring, or summer session in which the student is enrolled.Ìý When the college returns the completed voucher to the Office of Indigenous Education, it is approved for payment and sent to the Department of Audit and Control for processing of payment.Ìý Payments are sent directly to the college via either electronic ACH payment or physical check. Generally, the processing of payments takes between four and six weeks from the receipt of the voucher to the mailing of the payment. However, certain colleges, such as SUNY community colleges, will defer aid until a census date, liability date, or add/drop date has passed.Ìý

The Office of Indigenous Education makes special payment arrangements with certain colleges which have nontraditional schedules (for example, Empire State College).Ìý The office will provide information on such arrangements.