Sault Tribe Higher Education Unmet Needs Grant
Offered by Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians Higher Education Department
About this scholarship
The Sault Tribe Higher Education Unmet Needs Grant helps enrolled members of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians cover documented financial gaps for the Fall 2026 term. The current program is limited to undergraduate students enrolled full time in at least 12 credits at an accredited Michigan public college or university. Applicants must have completed the FAFSA, and the award is based on the school’s calculation of fall-only educational expenses and available resources, including tuition waivers, federal and state grants, scholarships, loans, and other aid. Because the Tribe does not publish a fixed maximum, the amount varies with verified unmet need and program funding. Students download the official four-page packet, complete the checklist and application, attach a copy of their current tribal card and a signed, updated W-9, and email those materials to the Higher Education Department by September 11, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. The Financial Needs Analysis is handled differently: the student signs Section I and sends it to the college financial-aid office, which must complete Section II and email it directly to the Tribe. A student-submitted copy of that form is not accepted. Applicants are responsible for following up with their school to confirm delivery, and ZIP files are not accepted. The grant packet also authorizes the school and Tribe to exchange enrollment, GPA, cost, FAFSA, aid, and Michigan Indian Tuition Waiver information needed to coordinate assistance.
Eligibility
- Be an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
- Be an undergraduate student and no longer enrolled in high school
- Enroll in at least 12 credits for Fall 2026
- Attend an accredited Michigan public college or university
- Complete the FAFSA for the applicable aid year
- Submit the signed application, checklist, current tribal card copy, and updated signed W-9 by September 11, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
- Complete and sign Section I of the Financial Needs Analysis and arrange for the school financial-aid office to send the completed form directly to the Tribe
- Demonstrate unmet Fall 2026 educational need after other financial-aid resources are counted