American Indian Outreach (AIO)
American Indian Outreach’s mission is to encourage and support Indigenous students like you on your journey toward educational success by creating awareness of available Maricopa Community Colleges programs, resources, and collaborative partnerships. We also serve as a bridge that communicates between and collaborates with tribal communities, educational institutions and related organizations, and community stakeholders to benefit Native students.
Our Values
Advocacy and Collaboration
We champion student and community needs through internal and external community partnerships.
Cultural Awareness
We strive to create an inclusive culture on campus through speakers, conferences, and student clubs.
Commitment to Indigenous Communities
We provide our Indigenous communities with tools and skills that allow them to succeed.
Additional Support and College-specific Scholarships
We're here to help you with the transition of leaving home for college and finding diverse educational support. Maricopa Community Colleges can help you connect with the right resources so you can be successful — both personally and academically.
In addition, several colleges in the Maricopa Community Colleges system offer ample scholarship opportunities for American Indian students. We can help connect you with financial aid services at your college—they'll answer all your questions and help you start off on the right foot if you wish to apply for financial aid.
Additional Support and College-specific Scholarships
The American Indian Institute (AII) at Mesa Community College helps to minimize the cultural distance students experience when leaving their home area. We provide American Indian students with a support and resource center attuned to Native customs and culture. We are here to help you achieve college success!
Mesa Community College
Building 36N
480-461-7931
aii@mesacc.edu
The American Indian Program (AIP) at Scottsdale Community College addresses the constantly changing and highly diverse educational needs of American Indian students and communities. The program’s mission is to provide you with comprehensive academic and personal support that promotes a successful and enhanced college experience.
Scottsdale Community College
Indigenous Cultural Center, ICC-203
480-423-6531
The American Indian Student Center (AISC) at South Mountain Community College aims to foster retention of American Indian students by establishing and coordinating culturally relevant programs and activities, including outreach, support services, and student-centered programs. For more information, contact gerard.begay@southmountaincc.edu.
South Mountain Community College
Gerard Begay
gerard.begay@southmountaincc.edu
The Molly Fasthorse Scholarship is available to Native American students of Yavapai descent. The application is fast and easy to complete. The scholarship could be used for books and fees and is renewable. The amount varies from student to student, but we are really hoping that you apply for this scholarship.
Here are the criteria for the scholarship:
- Must be enrolled at a Maricopa Community College with a minimum of 6 credits
- Have a 2.5 GPA
- Upload proof of Yavapai descendency
- Please see the writing on how the Foundation and funder wrote it: Proof of Yavapai descent includes verification by the official Tribal governing body indicating the applicant is either an enrolled Yavapai Tribal member or a lineal descendant of an enrolled Yavapai Tribal member.
- Evidence of enrollment may include a federally issued certificate of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB), a Tribal identification card, or a letter from the tribal enrollment office verifying the applicant is a lineal descendant of an enrolled Tribal member.
Student Clubs and Organizations
Any student interested in math, engineering, technology, or any science fields (geology, geography, anthropology, sociology, psychology, biology, chemistry, physics, etc.) are invited to attend; however, it is not a requirement that you study STEM majors. The club embraces all science fields and those related to math, engineering, and technology and wishes to create cohesion among American Indian students whose interest falls within this vast realm of academic knowledge.
Explore the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)
This club seeks to maintain and promote Native American culture, heritage, and traditions among students throughout their college experience.
NASA promotes and plans activities to stimulate intellectual, social, and moral growth in Native American students. The group welcomes all students interested in Native American culture and history.
ISO promotes social interactions and involvement among students as a way to connect with one another while becoming familiar with Mesa Community College (MCC) and its diverse population. ISO has hosted the Miss Native MCC pageant and Spring Powwow in past years to provide scholarship opportunities.
This group promotes cultural exchange to enrich college life and serves as a support group for Native Americans.
This club looks to enhance cultural awareness while promoting, planning, and integrating school and community activities that stimulate the growth of American Indian students. ISA is supported by SCC's American Indian Program, which provides comprehensive academic and personal support that promotes a successful and enhanced college experience for the American Indian student.
Members help American Indian students reach their educational goals, develop leadership skills, and promote cultural awareness by fostering relationships among clubs, campuses, the Maricopa Community Colleges District, and the college community.
Partnerships for K-12 Students
Our partnerships with K-12 institutions provide students from 5th grade through high school with college-related experiences. These partnerships also provide high school-to-college bridge programs to help high school students earn transferable college credits while preparing them to transition successfully to college.
Partnerships for K-12 Students
The Salt River Junior ACE Program is a collaborative venture involving Scottsdale Community College and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC). The project engages 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students in a bridge program that benefits them through college-related experiences. Students must be a member of the SRP-MIC, attend SRP-MIC schools, or be a returning student.
Maricopa Community Colleges’ Hoop of Learning (HOL) Program is an early high school-to-college bridge program available at nine of the ten colleges. Since its establishment in 1995, it has sought to reduce economic and cultural barriers that American Indians may face while helping high school students transition into college. The program is Indigenous by design, based on a traditional Native American worldview of a circle (or hoop) of lifelong development. Its mission is to encourage, enable, and create conditions that empower American Indian students to complete high school and transition successfully to higher education.
If you don’t think a college degree is an achievable goal for you, this nationally recognized scholarship program might change your mind. Achieving a College Education (ACE) helps eligible students earn up to 24 transferable college credits before high school graduation.
Get a head start on your future by taking college-level courses on your high school campus or at your preferred Maricopa Community College. Dual Enrollment—earning high school and college credit simultaneously—can help you save on tuition costs later and improve your odds for academic success.
Arizona Tribal Education Departments
We have attempted to provide links to all tribal education departments. For those not available, we have included links to tribal main pages or related sites. Please contact tribes directly for specific information, such as scholarship applications, funding, etc.