The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) maintains information about the Higher Education Grant, supplemental aid for Native students seeking a college degree. However, the application is not an extra FAFSA sent directly to Washington: BIE says students obtain the form from the education office of the tribe with which they are affiliated or enrolled. That office confirms available funds, required documents, and the current deadline.
The information packet linked from the official page describes support for associate or bachelor’s study at an accredited institution and financial need determined by the college financial-aid office. It also says the grant is supplemental, not an automatic entitlement. The packet is dated 2015, so use it as background and ask your tribe which eligibility, accreditation, affiliation documentation, and forms apply in the current cycle.
The booklet mentions tribal membership or certain ancestry criteria. Membership cannot be established from a surname or family tree alone: each nation sets its process and accepted records. Before sending birth certificates, enrollment numbers, or family documents, ask the tribal department for instructions and a secure submission method. BIE says it does not keep a universal membership record for every tribe.
Start by locating the tribal education office. Indian Affairs’ directory can help find contacts for tribal governments and BIA offices or regions. Then ask for the Higher Education Program, its current deadline, whether your chosen institution qualifies, and how financial need is calculated after Pell, scholarships, or work-study. Request the college’s cost-of-attendance budget and a written explanation of any award; the public information reviewed does not establish one national maximum that can be promised to an individual student.
If you are also seeking federal aid, complete the FAFSA for the correct year and ask both offices how to coordinate your file. FAFSA does not replace the tribal application, and a BIE programme page does not mean every tribe has an open application round. Do not pay a third party to “guarantee” this aid; verify the process with the tribe and college before sharing personal records.
The BIE page brings together the programme and its official student packet; the federal directory helps locate the tribal office that issues applications. BIE lists 202-208-4896 and biecentraloffice@bie.edu for general federal guidance. For individual eligibility, deadlines, and funds, the tribal office is the first contact named in the official material.
Grants: BIE Higher Education Grant Program — Bureau of Indian Education, U.S. Department of the Interior.
BIE Higher Education Grant Program: Information for Prospective American Indian College Students — Bureau of Indian Education, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Tribal Leaders Directory — Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Information checked on October 12, 2026 against official sources. Dates shown may have passed; agencies have not necessarily announced the next cycle. Confirm each application round and decision with the responsible office.
BIE aid is handled through a tribal education office, and current rules must be confirmed because the publicly linked packet is dated 2015.
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Bureau of Indian Education — Higher Education Grant Program
1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240
BIE Higher Education aid is supplemental and is not an automatic entitlement or a scholarship applied for directly through BIE. The available official material says the tribal education office supplies the application and administers local terms; the college determines financial need. Because the linked eligibility packet is dated 2015, confirm current rules with your tribe before relying on older ancestry or documentation criteria.
Federal supplemental aid programme for eligible American Indian and Alaska Native students
Tribal Leaders Directory — Indian Affairs
The Department of the Interior directory lists federally recognised tribal contacts and BIA offices or regions. It can help locate the tribal education department that distributes and processes BIE Higher Education applications; it is not a scholarship application or a membership-verification database.
Federal directory for locating tribal governments and higher-education offices
Sources & references
Sources for the information and reporting discussed in this guide.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Bureau of Indian Education, U.S. Department of the Interior · Accessed October 12, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Bureau of Indian Education, U.S. Department of the Interior · Accessed October 12, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior · Accessed October 12, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official application and program information ↗
Primary source
Bureau of Indian Education, U.S. Department of the Interior · Accessed October 12, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Bureau of Indian Education — Higher Education Grant Program ↗
Primary source
Bureau of Indian Education, U.S. Department of the Interior · Accessed October 12, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Bureau of Indian Education — Higher Education Grant Program ↗
Primary source
Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior · Accessed October 12, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official application and program information ↗
Primary source
Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior · Accessed October 12, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Tribal Leaders Directory — Indian Affairs ↗
Primary source
Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior · Accessed October 12, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.