2014 Annual Report
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Office of Navajo Nation Scholarship & Financial Assistance 2014 Annual Report Inside 2 Data & Statistics 2014 Statistical Profile Types of Student Funding 4 Funding Sources Federal Navajo Nation Trust Funds Corporate 7 Funding Activity Summary of Funds Expended by Agencies 10 Student Performance Degrees Sought By Award Recipients 18 Chief Manuelito Scholars 92 Students Earn the Navajo Nation Appropriations For Scholarships Increase Nation’s Top Scholarship By Rose Graham ABOVE President Russell Begaye congratulates Amanda Department Director Tachine for being one of 11 women honored by the White House as a Champion of Change at a ceremony on Sept. 15. A college education remains the best invest- See story on page 16. Courtesy photo ment a student can make in his or her future. Apply online at: However, college has never been more expensive. ing to ONNSFA for scholarships and financial aid www.onnsfa.org Through the years, we have reported that federal fell by 26 percent from 2013. funds for scholarships are on a decline. As such, we The ONNSFA submitted a proposal to the Chinle Agency Office have been working with Navajo Nation leaders to Navajo Nation Council to use a portion of the (800) 919-9269 find additional revenue. $554 million Cobell settlement for scholarships to For the first time over the last five years, establish trust funds so that scholarship funds are Crownpoint Agency Office federal funding was nearly matched by funding available for future generations. (866) 254-9913 from the Navajo Nation, trust funds and corporate It is to the Navajo Nation’s benefit to have contributions in 2014. Revenues from a portion of an educated workforce. We need to ensure that Ft. Defiance Agency Office Navajo Nation sales taxes and set-asides from the prospective college students are not priced out of (800) 243-2956 Higher Education Grant Fund helped make this the education they need to set themselves up for Shiprock Agency Office possible. future success. (866) 223-6457 The amount of funding available for Navajo College graduates with a bachelor’s degree scholarships rose by 28 percent from 2013. Total typically earn 66 percent more than those with Tuba City Agency Office funding in 2013 was $14,869,748 and the total in only a high school diploma; and are also far less (866) 839-8151 2014 was $19,104,750. likely to face unemployment. An individual with a The U.S. Dept. of Education recently reported college degree will earn approximately $1 million Central Office that tuition at four-year colleges more than more in their lifetime than those without a degree. (928) 871-7444 doubled over the past three decades. Every qualified student deserves access to a In 2015, the maximum Pell Grant covers only college degree that allows them to put their talent for information & updates: about 30 percent of the cost of a four-year public to work. As such, we will continue to work with Na- facebook.com/ONNSFA college education. The rising cost of college may vajo Nation and federal officials to increase scholar- be one reason that the number of students apply- ship opportunities. 2014 Calendar Year Statistical Profile Total Number of Applications 13,791 Enrollment Status of Recipients: Undergraduate 89 percent Total Number of Graduate 11 percent Students Requesting Awards: 10,799 (Students are counted once whether Gender of Recipients: they receive one or more awards during Female 63 percent the calendar year.) Male 37 percent Total Number of Awards: 7,946 Number of Awards by Funding Source: (All financial aid and scholarship awards Federal 4,141 made by ONNSFA during the calendar Navajo Nation, Trust and Corporate 3,805 year are included in the total. In some instances, a student may have received Total Awards By Funding Source: two awards – one for the Spring term Federal $ 9,821,301 and another for the Fall term. Each award Navajo Nation, Trust and Corporate 9,283,449 is counted independently.) Grand Total $ 19,104,750 Total Number of Total Federal Fund Awards to: Students Receiving Awards: 6,035 Need-Based Students $ 5,485,126 (Students are counted once whether Chief Manuelito Scholars 4,336,175 they receive one or more awards during Grand Total $ 9,821,301 the calendar year.) Percentage of Students Chief Manuelito Awards: 1,717 Funded in 2014 Calendar Year: 60 percent Total Number of Student Awards (The total number of students awarded Total Number of Students Awarded 1,256 from the total number of students that Total Expended From All Sources $ 5,799,171 applied. Applicants are counted once.) Percentage Expended From All Sources 30 percent Types of Student Funding Financial Need-Based Awards No-Need-Based Awards undergraduate students may also (up to $2,000 per semester) ($500 per semester) qualify for the Chief Manuelito schol- arship under the 24/3 rule by complet- Need-based funding is provided to No-need-based funding is provided ing 24 credit hours of college-level students who demonstrate finan- to students, who are deemed to have courses with a 3.0 GPA. cial need according to the Financial enough resources to meet the cost of Need Analysis (FNA) form submitted attendance at a college or university on their behalf by the school of at- of their choice. Graduate Student Awards tendance. Students in this category ($2,500 to $5,000 per semester) are deemed not to have sufficient Chief Manuelito Scholarships Grant awards are provided to Navajo personal or family resources to meet ($3,500 per semester) students seeking graduate-level de- a college’s or university’s cost of Merit-based scholarships are pro- grees. attendance (e.g. tuition, books and vided students, who achieve a high housing). Awards of up to $2,000 per grade point average and a commen- Part-Time Undergraduate semester or $4,000 per academic year surate ACT or SAT college test score. and Graduate Awards are provided to students based upon Students are required to complete their individual need assessment. courses in Navajo Language (1 unit) Funding is available for eligible part- Primary funding sources of need- and Navajo Government (½ unit) prior time undergraduate and graduate stu- based awards are PL 93-638 funds and to the application deadline to be con- dents. Part-time application require- Navajo Nation Funds. sidered for this scholarship. Full-time ments and award amounts vary. 2 Background and Operating Highlights Background ABOVE A total of 92 graduating seniors earned the merit-based Chief Manuelito Scholarship in 2014. The Office of Navajo Nation Scholarship and Scholars present at the award ceremony held on July 25, 2014, in Piñon, Ariz., are featured in the group Financial Assistance (ONNSFA) was established photo. Photo by Don James in 1972. The ONNSFA provides scholarship and 6:4 financial assistance to enrolled members of the Navajo Nation attending Acceptance Ratio of ONNSFA recipients: (students awarded to number of applicants) accredited institutions of higher education or accredited vocational training schools.The ONNSFA also provides financial aid services using supplemen- Denial Ratio of ONNSFA recipients: 44 percent tal funding from several sources including the Navajo Nation, corporate contributions and trust fund revenues Awarded Students to Denied Ratio: 56 percent Total Denials: 4,764 Agency Offices The ONNSFA has five agency offices across the Navajo Nation including: Total Funding to Undergraduate Students: $ 14,827,649 Chinle, Ariz., Crownpoint, N.M, Window Rock, Ariz., Shiprock, N.M., and Total Funding to Graduate Students: $ 4,277,101 Tuba City, Ariz. Average Undergraduate Student Award: $ 2,759 ONNSFA Website - www.onnsfa.org Average Graduate Student Award: $ 6,480 Information about ONNSFA policies, downloadable forms and a link to the online application process may be found at www.onnsfa.org. Students are Number of Undergraduate Students: 5,375 encouraged to create an account, a username and password and apply online. Applicants with online accounts are able to check the status of their Number of Graduate Students: 660 application, the documents received by the ONNSFA and the decision ren- Class Level of Recipients: dered on their application. Freshman 1,988 Sophomore 1,688 Operating Highlights Junior 865 ONNSFA disbursed $19,104,750 to 6,035 students at more than 500 schools Senior 832 throughout the country in Calendar Year 2014. Based on 2010 Census data, Master Candidate 454 the population of the Navajo Nation is 173,667 and of those 115,823 are age Doctoral Candidate 195 18 and over. In 2014, there were a total of 10,799 ONNSFA applicants which Post Bachelor Certificate 5 amounts to only 6 percent of the entire population of the Navajo Nation. Post Master Certificate 8 3 Funding Sources 2014 Calendar Year Federal Funds: $ 9,821,301 General Funds: 7,089,880 Trust Funds: 1,312,648 Corporate Funds: 880,921 Total : $ 19,104,750 Calendar Year 2014 Total Awarded: $19,104,750 undergraduate students with financial need tional Education Trust Fund and Tucson Electric Number of Awards: 7,946 as determined by the student’s Financial Need Funds stipulate that “10% of the fund [market Analysis and also for merit-based awards to value] shall be used as scholarship and finan- From January 1 to December 31, 2014, the Of- Chief Manuelito Scholars. cial assistance.” Interest revenue from these fice of Navajo Nation Scholarship and Financial sources fluctuate from year-to-year based Assistance awarded a total of $19,104,750 in upon market value. scholarships and financial aid. The total num- Navajo Nation General Fund ber of students who received awards from the Total: $7,089,880 four funding sources equated to 6,035. The Number of Awards: 2,728 Corporate Funds total number of awards made from all fund- Navajo Nation General Funds comprised about Total: $880,921 ing sources amounted to 7,946.