Catawba Nation Scholarship Program

Application Opens: October 15th, 2025                                     Application Deadline: April 15th, 2026

Contact Information: 

Main email- Cinscholarship@catawba.com

Maddison Montgomery- 803-616-9305

Required Documentation and Qualifications:

Applicants must submit and verify the following:

1. Catawba Tribal ID (clear, readable picture)

2. Most recent unofficial or official transcript.

a)       Transcripts should include student name, school name, date, student’s GPA, classes taken, credits awarded, and be clearly readable (not obscured, blurry, etc.).

b)       Pictures of class schedules or grades are not considered transcripts and cannot be accepted in place of one.

3. Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.

4. Completed digital scholarship application form.

5. Verification of FAFSA submission for current year.

6. For GED recipients, a copy of their completed GED and GED test scores will be required.

Submission Guidelines:

1. Applications must be submitted through the designated online portal given below.

2. Additional required documents such as transcripts, Tribal IDs, and Fafsa Confirmations must be emailed to CINScholarship@catawba.com

3. Mail-in documentation are not accepted unless prior written approval is granted due to specific circumstances.

4. A valid phone number and email address must be provided in order for department staff to communicate important updates and information with student.

Funding Amounts & Levels:

1. Award amounts may vary based on:

a)        Number of accepted applicants

b)        Available tribal resources

c)        Degree being pursued

d)        Full-time and part-time schedule status

2. Certificate programs are not eligible under this scholarship. Those seeking enrollment in certification programs may apply for Vocational Training funding through the Economic Development Department.

3. For-profit institutions are allowed but will be reviewed individually and discussed with student.

4. To ensure fiduciary responsibility, students attending colleges or universities that provide full-tuition coverage as a result of federal or state initiatives and policies will receive part-time funding for their chosen degree level regardless of total credit hours.

5. Funds received through merit-based (or otherwise) scholarships outside of the Catawba Nation will not impact the funding level a student receives through the Catawba Nation Scholarship

Enrollment Status:

1. Full-time and part-time status is determined by the institution. Unless otherwise specified, 12 credit hours is the minimum required to be considered full-time as an undergraduate student, and 9 credit hours for graduate students. By default, any schedule showing less than these credit hours will be considered part-time.

2. A student taking less than 12 credit hours (9 credit hours for graduate students) may be considered full-time if an institution representative or article provides official documented evidence that the student is considered full-time under school policies or special circumstances.

Disbursements:

1. Upon verification of award amounts, department staff will write and email award letters and denial letter to notify students of their award status. 

2. Following the completion of award and denial letters, department staff will write and email letters of intent to colleges and universities to notify them of the award amounts their students will be receiving. 

3. Once the student has received an award letter, they will need to send a copy of their schedule which shows their name/student ID and total credit hours to CINScholarship@catawba.com. 

4. Upon receipt of student schedule, department staff will prepare a check in the appropriate amount and send it to the accounting department for processing. All checks will be mailed directly to instituitions. Special Expeceptions may be made on specific case by case circumstances. 

5. Any funds which remain after the payment of a students tuition, books, supplies, housing, meal plans, and other school fees may be remitted to the student by the school. 

6. if a student withdraws past the deadline or does not complete their term, the scholarship funding must be returned to the funding bucket or the students risks forfeiting future eligibility. 

Degree Limits:

In their lifetime, students may receive funding for:

1. Up to 2 Associate degrees

2. Up to 2 Bachelor’s degrees

3. Up to 1 Master’s degree

4. Up to 1 Doctorate or Professional degree (e.g., MD, DDS, JD)

Status Page:

1. A live spreadsheet will be visible to applicants and will be maintained to track applicants and awards. Please use the second tab (top right corner on a laptop, top left corner on a phone) to review you application status. 

Unofficial/Official Transcript and Fafsa Example:

These are all examples of what is execptable for transcript and Fafsa submissions.