Award: Varies depending on annual budget; multiple recipients per year.
Opens December 15 and closes March 15 annually – (Funding for the following Fall and/or Winter, and/or Spring). This award must be applied for annually.
KEF offers merit-based scholarships to Koniag Shareholders and registered Descendants who are pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree through an accredited educational institution. These scholarships are competitive and are scored by an independent scholarship review committee. While all eligible applicants will receive funds, the applicants with the highest scores, will receive the highest awards. Each portion of the application has a point value, including the students’ cumulative grade point average (GPA), therefore it is important to put forth maximum effort into the application.
Qualified applicants will also be eligible for an additional special scholarship without having to submit an application. The Godfrey, Parsons, Matfay, & Drabek scholarships will be awarded to the students with the highest application points in each specified major. Please note that students who do not declare a major on the application will not be considered for these special scholarships.
KEF is a private nonprofit and the IRS regulations require that all scholarship funds must be disbursed directly to the university and cannot be applied to accounts in arrears (past due).
Online applications must be complete with all required documentation uploaded and submitted by the posted deadline. Late or incomplete/unsubmitted applications will not be considered.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Must be a Koniag Shareholder or registered Descendant (may be adopted). If not a registered Descendant, applicant must submit a Shareholder Descendant application and be approved by Koniag Shareholder Records prior to any disbursement of award. The Descendant database form is located here (https://www.koniag.com/our-shareholders/records-forms/) . For more information, please e-mail [email protected] or call (800) 658-3818.
- Members of the Koniag Education Foundation Board of Directors and their immediate family members are not eligible to apply for KEF scholarships and grants.
- Must meet the GPA requirement which vary by award.
- Must be in good standing with KEF’s other scholarship programs (e.g., maintain communication, provide transcripts and/or proof of completion as required).
General Information & Requirements
- Award amounts vary annually depending upon availability of funds.
- Awarded funds are disbursed directly to the program or school and cannot be applied to accounts in arrears or directly to students.
- All writing is graded not only for content, but also spelling, grammar, punctuation, and formatting. While it is permissible to have someone else proofread your work prior to submitting, the work you submit must be your own. It is not permissible for parents, guardians, etc. to apply on behalf of the student.
- Special Scholarships have additional requirements for field of study which must be met.
- Scholarships administered on behalf of our partners also have additional eligibility requirements which are detailed in the description of each award.
What Will I Need to Complete the Application?
- Your Koniag Shareholder or Descendant ID number.
- A recent resume with employment history, school activities, volunteer/community service, awards/honors, and any additional education/training. (2-page maximum)
- Most recent high school, GED, or college transcript(s). This MUST be followed up with an official transcript sent directly to KEF from your educational institution either by having it mailed to 4141 B Street, Suite 201 Anchorage, AK 99503, or e-mailed to [email protected] through your school’s secure electronic transcript delivery network (such as Parchment, eScript, National Student Clearinghouse, etc.). Official transcripts must be received in order to receive your award.
- An essay is required for all scholarships. The essay should be written specifically for the scholarship you are applying for and include the following:
a) Why are you a good candidate for this award?
b) A brief description of your personal and family history including how you or your family is connected to Kodiak Island.
c) Career and educational goals.
d) Community involvement/volunteer work.
AND
e) If you are a returning student (if you received a KEF Scholarship last year), answer 1-4 and also share what you’ve learned during the past school year. For example, what were your challenges or setbacks and how did you overcome them? What were your triumphs or accomplishments?
OR
f) If you are a Step-Up or probationary student (currently have lower than a 2.5 cumulative GPA), answer a. through d. AND describe the steps you will take to improve yourself as a student and your GPA.
5. One letter of recommendation (LOR) is required for all new KEF General students (students who did not receive a KEF General Scholarship the previous year) or students beginning a new degree program. Students who have received a KEF General the past year are not required to resubmit a letter of recommendation. The recommender should write specifically about the scholarship which you are applying for. Letters from family members are not accepted and will receive zero points. All LOR’s must be signed, dated, and not be more than one year old or your application will receive a point reduction, resulting in a reduced award. Click here for a form to share with your recommenders.
6. Recent headshot photo.
Review Process:
The KEF Scholarship Committee scores all applications. Award amounts are based on the funding available and application scores combined with student’s GPA.
Disbursement of Funds:
If awarded, applicant will be notified by email and/or regular mail the first part of June. The awarded funds will be sent directly to the recipient’s school/program by late August. If a student’s official transcripts are submitted late, the award will be late as well.
*Because KEF is a private nonprofit, IRS regulations require that all scholarship and career development funds must be sent directly to the institute where training is taking place.