The American Indian Endowed Scholarship (AIES) helps financially needy students with close social and cultural ties to an American Indian community in the state of Washington. Students can use the scholarships at public colleges and many independent colleges in Washington. The program prioritizes upper division and graduate level students, however, all applicants receive award consideration.

Award amounts range from around $500 to $2,000. About 15 students are selected each year to receive the awards. Students may get AIES funding for up to five years, but they must reapply each year. 

Many past recipients have careers in law, medicine, education, business, and resource management. All have returned, or plan to return, to their tribal communities to work on behalf of Indian peoples within the state.

Recipients are selected using criteria based on academic merit and a commitment to serve the American Indian community in Washington.

Scholarship awards come from the interest earnings of an endowment established from funds appropriated by the Washington State Legislature in 1990, with matching contributions from private individuals, organizations, and tribes.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Have close social and cultural ties to an American Indian tribe or community in Washington state
• Intend to use his or her education to benefit the American Indian community in this state
• Be enrolled full-time for the following academic year, beginning fall term, at a participating college or university in-state
• Have demonstrated financial need (as determined by the college financial aid office, per F AFSA)
• Be a Washington state resident
• Have not received a total of five years of this scholarship

There is a priority for upper-division and graduate-level students, however, all qualified applicants are considered.

IMPORTANT: Late or incomplete applications will not be reviewed by the selection committee.

A selection committee composed of representatives from the American Indian community in-state will review and score the applications.

• freshman
• sophomore
• junior
• senior
• graduate

• US Citizen
• Permanent Resident
• Undocumented

Application forms and instructions are available at https://wsac.wa.gov/american-indian-endowed-scholarship.

Mail the signed application, with required attachments, postmarked by the deadline, to:
American Indian Endowed Scholarship Program
Washington Student Achievement Council
PO Box 43430, Olympia, WA 98504-3430 (use PO Box if mailing US Postal Service delivery)
917 Lakeridge Way SW, Olympia, WA 98502 (use street address if via UPS or FedEx delivery)

Questions? Contact:
Ann Voyles, Program Associate
Phone: (360) 485-1311
Email: aies@wsac.wa.gov