Timothy Peck April 11, 2022 5 Scholarships

10 Alaska Scholarships to Save You Thousands on College

What’s Covered:

• 10 Alaska Scholarships to Save You Thousands on College
• Tips on Applying to Scholarships

Alaska has fewer college students than any other state in the nation, but that doesn’t mean the Last Frontier State isn’t home to great colleges and universities. In fact, despite Alaska’s relatively few colleges and universities, Alaska falls in the middle of the nation for the most well-educated population according to WalletHub. Helping Alaskans earn their education are numerous noteworthy scholarships.

10 Alaska Scholarships to Save You Thousands on College

1. MSHF Annie Demming Scholarship

Amount: Varies 

Deadline: February 28 

Eligibility: High school seniors with financial need who are residents of Matanuska-Susitna Borough interested in the fields of healthcare or human services 

Application Requirements: Transcript and FAFSA

This great Alaska scholarship is available to high school seniors with an interest in pursuing the fields of healthcare or human services in college. The Annie Demming Scholarship is provided by the Mat-Su Health Foundation with the aim of increasing the workforce in the aforementioned fields in the Mat-Su Borough—the fastest-growing area in Alaska—and is limited to residents of the Borough. Recipients are chosen based on academic merit, career choice, and financial need. 

2. Alaska Performance Scholarship 

Amount: $2,378 to $4,755

Deadline: N/A

Eligibility: Alaska residents who have graduated from an Alaska high school and who have completed the Alaska Performance Scholarship (APS) curriculum 

Application Requirements: FAFSA 

The Alaska Performance Scholarship is a tiered group of awards that recognize a student’s academic success—the better the student performs, the larger the scholarship they receive. 

• Level 1 

• • • High school GPA of 3.5
    • ACT score of 25 or SAT score of 1210

• Level 2 

• • • High school GPA of 3.0
    • ACT score of 23 or SAT score of 1130

• Level 3 

• • High School GPA of 2.5
  • ACT score of 21 or SAT score of 1060

Recipients can only use Alaska Performance Scholarships at select institutions in the state. 

3. Richard Tilden Sr. Health Education Scholarship

Amount: Up to $5,000

Deadline: June 30

Eligibility: Enrolled member of one of the 28 tribes served by Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation (BBAHC) accepted in a technical, undergraduate, or graduate program and pursuing a degree in a healthcare field

Application Requirements: Transcript, resume, personal statement, three letters of recommendation, and tribal eligibility

The BBAHC offers this award to students planning to pursue a career in healthcare who come from one of the 28 tribes served by the corporation. The scholarship is part of the BBAHC’s commitment to delivering high-quality healthcare to all members of the Bristol Bay community. Applicants must submit a personal statement detailing why they’re interested in the health fields, their career goals, community involvement, and how the scholarship corresponds with their future plans. 

4. JJ Klein Scholarship

Amount: Up to $10,000

Deadline: March 17 

Eligibility: Alaska high school seniors or undergraduates in their first year of college 

Application Requirements: GPA between 2.0 and 3.2

This unique Alaska scholarship rewards students with a GPA of 2.0 to 3.2 (a “B” or “C” average). In fact, the scholarship will not even consider applicants with a GPA over 3.5. In addition to meeting the GPA requirement, applicants are expected to show motivation for success and demonstrate financial need. 

5. Liam Hood Scholarship

Amount: $3,000

Deadline: March 17 

Eligibility: Alaska high school senior

Application Requirements: Minimum 3.0 GPA, transcript, resume, personal essays, two letters of recommendation, and a statement of financial need 

The Liam Hood Scholarship honors the life of its namesake, an Alaskan 12-year old with curiosity and exuberance for life, who died in an accident. The award is open to Alaska high school seniors who have a minimum 3.0 GPA. As part of the application, applicants must supply a resume detailing their academic history, work experience, extracurricular activities, personal interests, honors, and community service.

6. UA Scholars Award

Amount: $12,000

Deadline: May 1

Eligibility: Alaska high school seniors 

Application Requirements: Graduate in the top 10% of their class

The scope of the UA Scholars Award is narrow but is something high-achieving Alaskan high schoolers will want to explore. Students who graduate in the top 10% of their class at the end of their junior year are awarded $1,500 per semester, for eight semesters, so long as they remain in good academic standing. Recipients can use the award at any University of Alaska campus. 

7. NSAA Scholarship

Amount: Up to $1,500

Deadline: March 31

Eligibility: Alaska high school seniors in the municipality of Anchorage who were members of their high school’s cross-country ski team during their junior and senior years and members of the Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage (NSAA) 

Application Requirements: Minimum 2.7 GPA, essay, and two letters of recommendation 

High school cross-country skiers from the Anchorage area will want to sprint to this awesome opportunity to earn money for college. For nearly three decades, the NSAA has recognized the scholastic achievement, community service, and participation in cross-country skiing of its members through its NSAA scholarship program. Commitment to the cross-country skiing community is a large factor in how recipients are chosen; for example, applicants are asked to detail their volunteer efforts for the NSAA and community service performed for the Nordic skiing community. They also must compose a 500-word essay about the benefits they’ve received from skiing.

8. STA Higher Education Scholarship

Amount: Up to $3,000

Deadline: April 1

Eligibility: Enrolled Sitka Tribe of Alaska (STA) tribal citizen

Application Requirements: Transcript, SAR, personal statement, and a letter of college admission 

The STA provides financial support, in the form of a $3,000 scholarship, to its tribal citizens pursuing post-secondary education. The award is renewable for up to five years. To receive the award, applicants are required to attend an accredited college or university full time. Applicants must include a personal statement detailing their educational goals as part of their application. 

9. Alaska Education Grant

Amount: $500 to $4,000

Deadline: N/A

Eligibility: Alaska residents who have graduated from high school or earned a GED and are admitted to an undergraduate degree or vocational certificate program at a qualifying Alaska institution

Application Requirements: FAFSA

The Alaska Education Grant provides financial support to Alaska high school graduates and GED holders pursuing post-secondary education. The award is renewable and recipients can receive up to $16,000 for their undergraduate education. Both full- and half-time students are eligible to receive a scholarship, however, to receive the maximum award, students must enroll for at least 15 credit hours. The Alaska Education Grant is a need-based award; consequently, students with the greatest financial need are given priority.  

10. Wanda Munn Scholarship

Amount: $1,500  

Deadline: February 15

Eligibility: Non-traditional and re-entry students identifying as women residing or attending school in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, or Washington who are studying an engineering field and have completed a minimum of two years at an ABET-accredited school

Application Requirements: Transcript, faculty reference, and personal reference 

This Alaska scholarship provided by the Society of Women Engineers honors its namesake’s unique career path—she served as a departmental secretary in Nuclear Engineering at Oregon State University, before deciding to become a Nuclear Engineer herself and earning a BS degree as a single parent. Female-identifying non-traditional and re-entry students pursuing a degree in an engineering field are eligible for this award, with preference given to students who live in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. 

Tips on Applying to Scholarships

As more and more students look to control the cost of college, competition for college scholarships has intensified. Luckily, you can improve your odds of winning an award by following a few simple steps.

Apply for Institutional Aid

Looking to earn a big award for college? The smart money is to look at the school itself. Colleges and universities award significantly more money annually than other organizations— $175 billion vs. $11 billion. Before exploring scholarship opportunities like the ones listed above, make sure to maximize the amount of financial aid and merit aid available to you from the colleges and universities themselves. 

Merit Aid Opportunities 

Merit aid is aid awarded based on a variety of factors, such as academics, athletics, and extracurricular activities. Many colleges will award merit aid to high-achieving and/or talented students in an attempt to entice them to their campuses. When building your college list, include one or two “safety” schools where your profile is particularly strong and you have a good chance of winning a substantial award.   

Private Institutions 

The high cost of many private colleges prevents some students from applying to them. That said, private colleges commonly award more aid and are less expensive than their public school counterparts. Consider all 50 schools on our list of colleges that award the most merit aid are private. Don’t rule out applying to colleges with high published prices—they often have money and incentives to offer significant scholarships.