Pre-K – Higher Education

This is a brief description of the Education and Youth Programs offered by the St. Croix Chippewa of Wisconsin and may be subject to change without notice.  Phrases within quotation marks may originate from contracts/grants awarded.

BIA INDIAN GRANTS

The BIA Indian Grant is federal monies assigned to the St. Croix Tribe for use in helping to assist students in their academic success.  These monies are applied to tuition, fees, and books for each semester (Fall and Spring only).  They may not be utilized towards parking, late fees, collection fees, credit card bills, utilities, etc.  A student is not required to apply each semester to be considered for funding, as long as they remain in good academic standing.  Upon applying for the grant, students are required and encouraged to apply for FAFSA and all other grants and scholarships first, as the BIA Indian Grant may be used as a last resort of funding.  Other tribal members and descendants from other tribes must seek assistance from their own tribal education office, because they receive their own BIA monies to assist their own students within their tribe.  Apply early, as there may be a waiting list to receive funding.

St. Croix Higher Education Grant-This grant applies to students attending a four-year college/university and beyond.  Eligible participants are those who are members of a federally recognized tribe, or descendants of one-fourth or more Indian blood of an enrolled member.  Requirements for students applying for the BIA Indian Grant are as follows:

• St Croix Tribal Member preferred;
• Must be accepted into a four-year post-secondary institution or working towards a Master/Doctorate;
• The student may be required to graduate under the HE program within four years or ten semesters of funding from the BIA Indian Grant;
• To continuously receive funding within those four years, the student must maintain a GPA of at least 2.5; if they fall below the required GPA they may be placed on academic suspension and funding will be suspended until it is raised to the required 2.5 GPA;
• All students are required to submit their grade reports along with their class schedule for the upcoming semester and an itemized tuition bill to the St. Croix Education Department for each semester to be paid;
• Each student is required to file a FAFSA annually to be considered for BIA HE (St. Croix Financial Aid Award) grant.

HE grant monies are awarded each semester (Fall and Spring only) and may only be applied to tuition, fees, books, and housing.  The amount applied to your tuition bill is determined after all other grants, scholarships, and financial aid are awarded to the student, which may be up to but no more than $3000 per semester and an additional $500 incentive for being on the Dean’s/President’s/Honor list.

Books may be purchased by the individual student/parent and then reimbursed by the BIA HE grant or may be charged by the student on their school account.

Students applying for student loans are encouraged to deny the loan until the BIA HE Indian grant monies have been applied to their tuition/book bill so that it may lessen the amount of money a student has to borrow in loans.

JOB PLACEMENT AND TRAINING/ADULT VOCATIONAL

Two-year colleges or technical schools – Unless otherwise noted, eligible participants are those who are members of a federally recognized tribe. Requirements for students applying for the BIA Job Placement and Training Indian grant are as follows:

• St Croix Enrolled Tribal Member;
• Must be accepted into a two-year college or technical school;
• The student must graduate under the JPT program within two years or five semesters of funding from the BIA JPT Indian Grant;
• To continuously receive funding within those two years, the student must maintain a GPA of at least 2.5; if they fall below the required GPA they will be placed on academic suspension and funding will be suspended until it is raised to the minimum 2.5 GPA;
• All students are required to submit their grade reports along with their class schedule for the upcoming semester, and an itemized tuition bill to the St. Croix Education Department for each semester to be paid;
• Each student is required to file a FAFSA annually to be considered for BIA JPT grant.

JPT grant monies are awarded each semester (Fall and Spring only) and may primarily be applied to tuition/fees, books, and housing. The amount applied to your tuition bill is determined after all other grants, scholarships, and financial aid awarded to the student, which may be up to, but no more than, $1000 per semester. The amount for books may be up to, but no more than, $500 per semester.

Books may be purchased by the individual/parent and then reimbursed by the BIA JPT grant or may by charged by the student on their school account.

Students applying for student loans are encouraged to deny the loan until the BIA JPT Indian grant monies have been applied to their tuition/book bill so that it may lessen the amount of money a student has to borrow in loans.

JOB PLACEMENT AND TRAINING (Employee Assistance) – The purpose of the program is to assist eligible applicants to obtain job skills and to find and retain a job leading to self-sufficient, gainful employment.

• Eligible applicants must be an adult Indian or Alaskan Native of a Federally recognized tribe; and
• Eligible applicants must show the need and can benefit from employment assistance upon being newly employed;
• Eligible applicants are residing on or near the Indian reservation or in a service area, or in the agreed contract service area;
• Eligible applicants must have only one comprehensive Individual Self-Sufficiency Plan (ISP) will be developed for each applicant.

Johnson O’Malley Program – This program is designed to “serve from ages 3 years through grade(s) 12, and to assist those efforts designed to meet the specialized unique educational need of eligible Indian students, including programs supplemental to the regular school system.”

• The St Croix Tribe receives funding to be utilized within six school districts that house JOM Home School Coordinators/Tutors.
• JOM funding may be utilized to assist as an educational support, depending on the needs of a student and limiting support to 25% of the total budget.  Such educational support may include but not limited to sports equipment, registration fees for school related activities/sports, school trips, and driver’s education fee.

United States Department of Education Indian Education Formula Grant (EASIR/Title VI) – The purpose of this program is to “support the efforts of local educational and culturally related academic needs of American Indian and Alaskan Native students so that such students can meet the same challenging State student academic achievement standards as all other students are expected to meet.”

• Eligible students in grades K-12 who are “1 a member (as defined by the Indian tribe or band) of an Indian tribe or band including those Indian tribe, bands, or groups terminated since 1940, and those recognized by the State in which they reside; or 2 a descendant in the first or second degree as described in 1; or 3 considered by the secretary of the interior to be an Indian for any purpose; or 4 an Eskimo or Aleut or other Alaskan Native; or 5 a member of an organized Indian group that received a grant under the Indian education Act of 1988 as it was in effect of October 19, 1994.”
• The St. Croix Tribe currently utilizes all funding through Title VI to employ Title I native American Liaisons in Webster, Cumberland, Shell Lake, and Spooner School Districts.

United States Department of Health and Human Services Head Start Program – This program provides “comprehensive child development to children from birth to age 5” with the overall goal of “increasing the social competence of young children in low-income families.”