Reservation News

DOI Transfers Nearly $8M to Cobell Scholarship Fund

Cobell in courtWASHINGTON – The Department of the Interior announced on Jan. 11 that an additional $7.9 million has been transferred to the Cobell Education Scholarship Fund, bringing the total amount contributed to more than $47 million.

The scholarship fund – funded in part by the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations and authorized by the Cobell Settlement – provides financial assistance through scholarships to American Indian and Alaska Native students wishing to pursue post-secondary and graduate education and training.

The Cobell board of trustees oversees the scholarship fund, while the Indigenous Education Inc., a nonprofit corporation created to administer the scholarship program, oversees it.

“Our hope is that these young people will not be forced to rethink their decision to pursue an education because they are worried about whether they can afford the tuition and fees necessary to attend post-secondary and graduate institutions,” said Deputy Secretary of the Interior Department Michael L. Connor. “Through contributions from the Land Buy-Back Program, the scholarship fund is helping the next generation of Native American and Alaska Native students reach their goals and attain an education that will make them competitive in the 21st century workforce and beyond.”

The Cobell board of trustees has reported that to date, nearly 1,800 scholarships totaling more than $5.25 million have been awarded to almost 1,000 Native American students for undergraduate and graduate study.

The scholarship awards are $5,000 per semester for undergraduates and $10,000 per semester for graduate and doctoral students. Applications and information concerning scholarships can be found at www.cobellscholar.org.

Alex Pearl, Cobell board of trustees chairman, said: “The latest distribution helps our mission of carrying out the vision of Elouise Cobell to enhance educational opportunities for American Indians and Alaskan Native students. Recently, President Obama honored Ms. Cobell by awarding her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The president’s recognition of her leadership and dedication to fighting long-standing injustice on behalf of individual Indians is a testament to her life. The Cobell board of trustees is honored to continue her legacy and further her impact on Native people. We remain committed to creating a uniquely tuned and perpetual scholarship program designed to respond to the needs and issues of Native students.”

The Land Buy-Back Program was created to implement the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement, which provided $1.9 billion to purchase fractionated interests in trust or restricted land from willing landowners. Consolidated interests are transferred to tribal government ownership for uses benefiting the reservation community and tribal citizens.

The Interior makes quarterly transfers to the scholarship fund as a result of land buy-back sales, up to a total of $60 million. The amount the Interior contributes is based on a formula set forth in the Cobell Settlement that sets aside an amount of funding depending on the value of the fractionated interests sold. These contributions do not reduce the amount that an owner will receive.

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