AIS Scholarships

Please contact the department for requirements and application information on any of the following scholarships.

Adolph L. Dial Endowed Scholarship

This scholarship was established by Dr. Adolph Dial, the first chairman of the American Indian Studies Department at UNC Pembroke. The award is made annually to a student majoring in American Indian Studies.

Jane C. Oxendine Endowed Scholarship

The Jane Oxendine scholarship was established by the Pembroke Chapter of the UNCP Alumni Association in recognition of Mrs. Oxendine’s dedication to the preservation of the American Indian culture. The recipient must have a major or minor in American Indian Studies. The recipient shall be enrolled in good standing at the University and be in need of financial assistance. The recipient must be actively involved in cultural activities on and off campus.

Thomas Oxendine Endowed Scholarship

The Thomas Oxendine Endowed Scholarship is established by family and friends to honor his distinguished military service and life contributions to American Indian people. The family’s intent is to establish an award which will affirm and promote their belief in the enduring value of education with an appreciation for the academic discipline of American Indian Studies. The donor will commemorate the memory and legacy of the late Thomas Oxendine, who was the nation’s first American Indian Navy fighter pilot. Thomas, a highly decorated officer who fought in WWII and in the Korean and Vietnam Wars served his country with distinction. This endowed scholarship is meant to encourage and inspire recipients to recognize the importance and relativity of American Indian’s contribution to this country. The donor believes that education is a means of broadening one’s horizons, not only in the pursuit of a career but also in the quest to serve all humanity.

Candidates qualified for this scholarship award shall be an American Indian Studies major pursuing an undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Recipients are required to maintain a 3.0 GPA and must be a sophomore or above in order to qualify for the scholarship. The Department Chair shall establish a committee to determine the recipient that is most deserving based on the criteria stipulated. The award will be made annually.

William Lonnie Revels, Sr. Memorial Scholarship*

The Donor wishes to establish this scholarship—a tribute to her husband’s lifelong commitment to education, entrepreneurship, and his American Indian heritage—to encourage and financially assist young American Indian students pursuing an education at UNC Pembroke.

The recipients of the William Lonnie Revels, Sr. Memorial Scholarship shall be native residents of North Carolina majoring in American Indian Studies, Education, or Business at UNCP. The awards should rotate within these majors—the first year awarded to an American Indian Studies major, the second year to an Education major, the third year to a Business major with a Concentration in Entrepreneurship, etc. Recipients must maintain a 2.5 QPA and be full-time undergraduate students in any year of study. The award will be made to an American Indian student of demonstrated financial need in the fall and is non-renewable.

Dr. Helen Maynor Scheirbeck Endowed Scholarship*

The Helen Maynor Scheirbeck Endowed Scholarship is established by family and friends to honor Helen’s distinguished service and lifelong contributions to American Indian people and, in particular, to the Lumbee Tribe of which she was a member. The intent of this scholarship is to establish an award which will affirm and promote Helen’s belief in the enduring value of education; and to commemorate the memory and legacy of one who dedicated her life to the advancement and advocacy of American Indian justice and her appreciation for the academic discipline of American Indian Studies.

This endowed scholarship is meant to encourage and inspire recipients to recognize the relevance and the importance of the contributions of American Indians to this country and the belief that education is a means of broadening horizons, pursuing a meaningful career, and advancing the quest to serve all humanity.

Candidates for this scholarship: shall be American Indian Studies majors pursuing an undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke; must maintain a 3.0 GPA; must be a sophomore, junior or senior; and, must be of demonstrated financial need. Recipients shall be of American Indian descent and enrolled in a State of North Carolina or Federally recognized tribe. Recipients must have residential status from one of the following counties: Robeson, Cumberland, Scotland, or Hoke. If there should be no qualified American Indian candidates, the scholarship should be awarded to an American Indian Studies major.

Jim Thorpe Scholarship

This scholarship was established by UNCP professor and Thorpe scholar Dr. Robert Reising to reward a deserving student as well as to honor “the Greatest Athlete in the World.” Jim Thorpe, a Sac and Fox Indian, Olympic and professional athlete, was a one-time resident of North Carolina. Criteria for award of this scholarship include a demonstrated financial need, full-time undergraduate student status, and, preferably, majoring in American Indian Studies. One scholarship will be awarded in the fall of the year. The scholarship is renewable.

Note: * indicates geographically restricted scholarships

Additional UNCP Scholarships