SHI EXTENDS SEALASKA SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE DUE TO CORONAVIRUS
March 30, 2020
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The Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) Board of Trustees has extended the Sealaska scholarship deadline to April 15 due to the COVID-19 coronavirus.
The decision was precipitated by a number of shareholders and descendants who have lost their jobs due to the virus and who now want to go to school, said Joe Nelson, chair of the Sealaska Board of Directors and ex-officio trustee of SHI.
“We are living in a time when we have to be nimble and respond to people who are experiencing financial hardship because of the virus wherever we can. This is one way that we can help,” Nelson said.
If SHI receives a large number of new applicants, additional funds may go into the program to cover the new awards.
Awards are made to Sealaska shareholders and descendants enrolled part- or full-time in accredited colleges, universities and voc-tech schools. The scholarship program was founded by Sealaska and is administered by Sealaska Heritage. In 2018, Sealaska increased the scholarship endowment fund by $10 million to a total of $15.7 million. In 2019, Sealaska announced a new program to fund part time students to remove a financial barrier for those who are not able to attend school full time.
Sealaska Heritage Institute is a private nonprofit founded in 1980 to perpetuate and enhance Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian cultures of Southeast Alaska. Its goal is to promote cultural diversity and cross-cultural understanding through public services and events. SHI also conducts social scientific and public policy research that promotes Alaska Native arts, cultures, history and education statewide. The institute is governed by a Board of Trustees and guided by a Council of Traditional Scholars, a Native Artist Committee and a Southeast Regional Language Committee.
CONTACT: Amy Fletcher, SHI Media and Publications Director, 907.586.9116, amy.fletcher@sealaska.com
