LAFAYETTE, LA – The University of Louisiana at Lafayette will offer five new scholarships for incoming freshmen who are citizens of a federally recognized American Indian tribe. Joseph Savoie, University President, introduced the UL Lafayette American Indian Scholarship during the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe’s Louisiana Rural and Economic (LaRuE) Development Summit in July.
“The University has an exceptional partnership with the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe, and we are pleased to commemorate this special relationship through these scholarships,” said Savoie. “We are committed to providing students of all backgrounds with a welcoming and supportive learning environment where they can realize their academic and professional dreams. Scholarships such as these enable us to do that.”
Each scholarship, valued at $5,000, is available to first-time freshmen with a minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA who are citizens of a federally recognized American Indian tribe from any state. Applicants must be enrolled as full-time students and provide a copy of their Tribal Enrollment Card with their application. The application deadline is Aug. 26, 2024, with scholarships designated for the fall 2024 semester.
“We appreciate the ongoing efforts to promote education and instill strong values in students, and we look forward to continuing this valuable partnership, benefiting not only the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe, but all of Louisiana,” said Tunica-Biloxi Tribe Chairman Marshall Pierite.
In 2021, UL Lafayette and the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe formalized a partnership aimed at advancing the state’s renewable and traditional energy sectors, as well as economic development, workforce training, community development, public health, and computing and information technology.
