Cherokee Nation Promise Scholarship Program Hit With Funding Cuts

The Cherokee Nation has pulled back a partial college scholarship some students were counting on this fall.

The Nation sent a letter dated Aug. 2 to 98 incoming freshmen applying for the Cherokee Promise Scholarship program, saying a housing scholarship worth $1,600 per semester was no longer available to them.

It affects students at Northeastern, Rogers State and Connors State.

The program will not award scholarships for new students applying for the  2017-18 academic year.

However, the program will continue to fund the 54 students currently awarded the scholarships, a Cherokee Nation Education Services official said.

“A review of NAHSDA (Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act of 1996) rules and regulations led us to determine that we could not use NAHSDA funds in the manner used under Cherokee Promise,” Ron Etheridge, Education Services deputy executive director, stated in a letter to Tribal Council Speaker Joe Byrd. “Accordingly, Education Services determined that the most prudent path forward was to suspend the Cherokee Promise program for new applicants this academic year, but to continue it fully funded for students who are already in the program.”

New students are still eligible for another scholarship worth $2,000 and a housing incentive worth $1,000.

The Cherokee Nation released a statement regarding the funding cuts. The statement can be read at anadisgoi.com.