FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Alaska Native students who are eligible for The CIRI Foundation Scholarship and Grant program are either original enrollees of Cook Inlet Region, Inc. (CIRI) or direct lineal descendants of an original enrollee of CIRI.
Original enrollees are Alaska Natives who originally enrolled to an ANCSA regional or village corporation in 1971.
Direct Lineal descendants are the natural or legally adopted children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc. of an original enrollee who enrolled to an ANCSA regional or village corporation in 1971. Brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, or cousins are not direct lineal descendants.
Not all CIRI shareholders are original enrollees or direct lineal descendants of an original enrollee. Inherited or gifted shares do not qualify as original enrollment. If you are unsure about your CIRI shareholder status, contact the CIRI Shareholder Relations Department at (907) 274-8638 or toll-free at (800) 764-2474.
The CIRI Foundation does not require a CIB/CDIB or CIRI shareholder stock certificate or ID card. If the applicant is an original enrollee of CIRI, that information is verified by The CIRI Foundation through CIRI. If the applicant is a direct lineal descendant of an original enrollee, that information is verified by the applicant’s submission of their birth certificate which should indicate the mother/father who is the original enrollee. Additional birth certificates will be requested from the applicant if the original enrollee is the grandparent, great-grandparent and so on. Additional information, such as marriage certificates or other legal documentation, may be requested in order to document lineage and/or name changes that may have occurred.
Late applicants may be considered if there are extenuating circumstances that precluded a person from being able to apply on time at the stated deadline and if there is available funding after all other on-time, eligible applications are reviewed. Late applicants should contact The CIRI Foundation for assistance.
General Semester and Annual Scholarships are for students enrolled full-time in a degree program at an accredited school or university. Full-time enrollment is considered 12 credits or more per semester/term/quarter for undergraduate students and 9 credits or more per semester/term/quarter for graduate students.
Career Upgrade Grants are for students enrolled part-time in a degree program at an accredited school or university. Part-time enrollment is considered 11 credits or less per semester/term/quarter for undergraduate students and 8 credits or less per semester/term/quarter for graduate students.
Vocational Training Grants are for students enrolled part-time or full-time in a vocational technical skills program for which a certificate of completion is issued.
Please refer to the Scholarship and Grant Program Descriptions on pages 7-14 of the application form for additional detail regarding different scholarships and grants offered by The CIRI Foundation.
The June 1 application deadline is the only time that students are considered for the limited number of annual scholarships that are awarded. The CIRI Foundation reviews and scores all scholarship and grant applicants on the following criteria:
- Timeliness of submission (application submitted by deadline)
- Completeness of application (application and supplementary materials are complete)
- GPA (Grade Point Average)
- Rigor of coursework/degree program
- Grade level (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior, Graduate)
- Degree program (2-yr, 4-yr, Graduate)
- Personal financial contribution
- Financial amount needed-Employment preparation (does degree program directly relate to career goals?)
- Statement of Purpose (clarity of career goal, quality of English usage and style, how your educational goals relate to giving back to the community)
- Community service (extent of current involvement in volunteer/civic activities)
When reviewing applications for the more competitive, annual scholarship awards, the Statement of Purpose and level of community service/civic activities is many times the determining factor. Clearly articulated education and career goals are important, as well how your educational goals relate to giving back to the community.
In order to receive priority consideration, your application should be received at The CIRI Foundation office by the appropriate deadline whether it is complete or incomplete. Once an application is received, the applicant receives an acknowledgement letter via mail and email noting if it is complete or incomplete. Additional time to submit requested information is granted; however, applicants are encouraged to submit all requested information in a timely manner and by the stated deadlines. All late applications are considered last and are subject to available funding.
Please note: The Howard Rock Foundation Scholarship Program Application is required to be submitted entirely complete and on-time in order to receive any consideration. The Howard Rock Foundation Scholarship Program is administered by The CIRI Foundation for Alaska Village Initiatives and has a separate application from The CIRI Foundation Scholarship and Grant Application form.
The CIRI Foundation will not release information from an applicant’s file to a third party without written permission from the applicant. If an applicant wants to allow named persons or organizations to be able to check the status of his or her file, then he or she must submit a Release of Contact Information form for each application submitted. This form can be printed from The Foundation’s website or it can be faxed or mailed to the applicant upon request.
Per The CIRI Foundation Infraction Provision Policy (page #4 of the application), recipients are expected to complete the courses and credits for which they received their award; however, sometimes there may be unforeseen circumstances that preclude a recipient from being able to do so. If any changes in your enrollment occur, immediately contact The CIRI Foundation and provide written explanation as to the extenuating circumstance(s) that may have precluded you from being able to complete the terms of the award. A determination cannot be made until after written notification and review of the circumstance(s) is received from the student.
Under provisions of the 1986 Tax Reform Act, any portion of a scholarship or grant that you receive from The CIRI Foundation that is applied toward room and board, travel and other personal expenses is taxable. It is the student's responsibility to determine what part, if any, of the award is taxable and to report such amounts on your personal income tax return. The portion of your scholarship or grant award applied toward tuition, registration fees, books, supplies, and other fees related to the course/s of study continues to be excluded from federal taxable income.
Scholarships and grants can be used toward direct education expenses that include tuition, registration fees, on-campus housing/meals, books, supplies and up to $500 toward personal expenses after all other education expenses are covered. General Semester scholarship recipients can use up to $500 for personal expense per award and Career Upgrade/Vocational Training grant recipients can use up to $500 for personal expense per calendar year.
Scholarship and grant applicants/recipients do need to apply at each application deadline for the period in which they are requesting funding. The only exception is for June 1 annual award (Special Excellence, Excellence, Achievement) recipients; they do not have to re-apply at the December 1 application deadline in the same year which they receive their annual award; however, they do have to submit official grade transcripts to The Foundation for the completed Fall semester before the Spring semester distribution will be released.
The CIRI Foundation is not chartered to provide financial or technical assistance for starting a business. Assistance may be available through:
- UAA Small Business Development Center www.aksbdc.org (907) 274-7232, Toll free outside Anchorage (800) 478.7232
- Alaska Growth Capital www.alaskagrowth.com (800) 315-4904
- The Small Business Administration http://www.sba.gov (800) 659-2955; Anchorage District Office (907) 271-4022 www.sba.gov
- Bureau of Indian Affairs www.doi.gov/bureau-indian-affairs
- Cook Inlet Tribal Council’s IDA Program www.citci.com (907) 793-3303, Toll Free (877) 985-5900
The Small Business Administration (SBA) provides a business loan program, workshops and free counseling on how to start a small business, and you may qualify for federal programs that steer a portion of government contracts to businesses owned by minorities, such as the SBA's "8(a) Program."
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) also administers a small business loan program and provides workshops and counseling on how to start a small business.
Additionally, many universities and community schools also provide reference libraries, workshops, and technical assistance on starting a small business, developing business plans, and preparing commercial loan proposals.
The Federal ID or Employer Identification Number for TCF is 92-0087914. TCF is a private foundation registered 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization.
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