2022 Tepa Native American Scholarship Fund

Future Leaders Scholarship

The Tepa Companies are wholly owned subsidiaries of the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians. They deliver comprehensive and sustainable solutions to federal, state, local and private-sector clients throughout the United States. The tribally owned companies work independently and collaboratively to provide wide-ranging construction, engineering, environmental, industrial, staffing and technology services.

The Tepa Native American Scholarship Fund was established to build personal and lasting relationships with students who will become the future leaders in Native American communities and possibly with the Tepa Companies.

The Tepa Companies will provide two awards of $1,000 to Native American students majoring in Environmental Science, Earth Science, Computer Science, Engineering, Finance or Business Administration for the 2022 Fall semester.

Timeline:
Scholarship Applications Open: April ?, 2022
Scholarship Applications Close: June 30, 2022
Application Review Period: July 1 – July 31, 2022

Notification to Students of Scholarship Awards:
Scholarship finalists award notifications will begin August 1, 2022 and run as late as August 31, 2022 depending on when applications are reviewed.

Acceptance of Scholarship Awards:
Upon selection as a finalist for a Tepa Native American Scholarship award, the student must accept the award verbally AND provide the post-acceptance documents required for the award within one month of notification. The Tepa Scholarship team will do its due diligence to send notification reminders in the form of emails and phone calls to the student within this one-month time frame to complete their post-acceptance requirements, but after this time allowance has passed, the scholarship will be revoked.

Applicant Criteria:

Must be of American Indian, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian heritage. Proof of ancestry may include one of the items listed below:
- Tribal identification from a state-recognized or federally-recognized tribe
- BIA Certificate of Degree of Indian or Alaska Native Blood
- Tribal identification of a parent and applicant’s birth certificate
Must be enrolled full time for the Fall 2022 semester at an accredited college or university;
Must be pursuing a career in Environmental Science, Earth Science, Computer Science, Engineering, Finance or Business Administration/Management;
Must have a 2.0 or higher cumulative grade point average (GPA).

Application Checklist:

Please read and follow instructions carefully
Complete ALL sections of the online application. Your application may not be submitted until all sections are complete and the required documents uploaded.
Required documents:
- Tribal identification from a state or federally-recognized tribe OR BIA Certificate of Degree of Indian or Alaska Native Blood. (Proof of lineage may include a tribal identification card of applicant’s mother or father accompanied by a copy of applicant’s birth certificate)
- Must provide an unofficial copy of your current transcript. Copy of the transcript must include the student's name, semester/quarter, and institution name or logo.
- High school diploma or general education development (GED) documentation (if incoming freshman)
- Proof of admission to an accredited college or university (e.g. letter of admission, past tuition receipt, etc.).

Selection Process:
Once the scholarship application deadline arrives, the Tepa Selection Committee will verify that all applicants meet the eligibility criteria. Applications that do not meet the eligibility criteria are declined automatically.
The scholarship applications then will be reviewed by the Tepa Selection Committee and scored based upon the essay questions. The scored applications are placed in a ranked list, and this list will be used by the Tepa Selection Committee to choose the scholarship finalists.

Scholarship Post-Acceptance Documents Required for Verification:
Once selected, the scholarship finalists will be notified through email to send the post-acceptance documents. All scholarship finalists will be required to submit the following post-acceptance documents:

Academic institution enrollment verification
Recent photo/headshot
A thank-you letter to the scholarship selection team

The post-acceptance documents must be emailed by August 31, 2022.

Scholarship Check Disbursements: Fall 2022
Timeline for First (Fall) Payment Semester Scholarship (2022-2023 academic year)

If you have submitted all documents as required by the Tepa Companies, the scholarship will be distributed to the awarded student from September 1– October 31, 2022.

Question Title

* 1. Student Information

Name

Address

City/Town

State/Province

ZIP/Postal Code

Email Address

Phone Number

Question Title

* 2. Tribal Affiliation

Question Title

* 3. Tribal Documentation

Documentation may include: Tribal identification from a state-recognized or federally-recognized tribe; BIA Certificate of Degree of Indian or Alaska Native Blood (in place of a federal or state tribal ID); Tribal identification of a parent and applicant’s birth certificate (if applicable)

PDF, DOC, DOCX, PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF file types only.

Choose File

Question Title

* 4. Additional Tribal Documentation (if applicable)

PDF, DOC, DOCX, PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF file types only.

Choose File

Question Title

* 5. How did you hear about the Tepa Native American Scholarship Fund?

Question Title

* 6. High School Information (if incoming freshman)

High School

Address

City/Town

State/Province

ZIP/Postal Code

Question Title

* 7. High school graduation date (if applicable)

Question Title

* 8. High school diploma or GED certificate (if applicable)

PDF, DOC, DOCX, PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF file types only.

Choose File

Question Title

* 9. College/University Information

Name

Address

City/Town

State/Province

ZIP/Postal Code

Question Title

* 10. I will be a:

Freshman

Sophomore

Junior

Senior

Question Title

* 11. Degree:

Non-transferable Associate (2 year)

Transferable Associate (2 year)

Bachelor (4-5 year)

Question Title

* 12. Unofficial Copy of Current Transcript

PDF, DOC, DOCX, PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF file types only.

Choose File

Question Title

* 13. Proof of Admission (letter of admission, past tuition receipt, etc.)

PDF, DOC, DOCX, PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF file types only.

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Essay Guidelines: (500-word minimum)
This essay is the primary component of your application and will influence the selection committee for your scholarship request. Take this as an opportunity to tell your story and demonstrate not only your writing skills but how this scholarship opportunity will advance you in your career.

Include the following:

Introduction – Introduce yourself using your full name and tribal affiliation. Include information about your home, family and where you are from.
Academics –Describe yourself as a student, how you have achieved academic success, and your work ethic. Tell us who/what inspired you to pursue your chosen career path. Tell us why you have selected the environmental science, earth science, computer science, engineering, finance or business administration field.
Career Plans – Describe your ultimate career goal. Tell us the steps you are taking to reach your goals. Explain what qualities you see in yourself that will help you in your journey and career. Discuss your strengths and weaknesses.
Service to the Tribal Community – Share your native heritage and what it means to you. Describe your career plan and describe the positive changes you want to make in Indian communities. Explain how your education will allow you to do so. When you do return to work in your community, describe what you want to do.

Essay Requirements: 12 pt., New Times Roman Font, 1” margins, double-spaced

Question Title

* 14. Upload Here

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Choose File

Read and Agree to Below
By submitting and clicking "Done" I certify that the information contained within this application is true to the best of my knowledge and is my own work. I understand that misrepresentation or fraudulent information may be grounds for loss of scholarship funds and repayment of funds may be requested. By accepting a scholarship from the Tepa, LLC, I authorize Tepa, LLC. to use my photograph and any information that I have provided in advertising, fundraising and any media.