For the Undergraduate, Graduate, and Fellowship opportunities, Indigenous Education, Inc. engages several highly qualified Native education specialists to review all fully completed applications submitted by the stated deadline(s). Following this review, merit-based offers are made to hundreds of carefully screened and selected applicants who then move to FINALIST status in early May each year. During this stage, several things happen simultaneously:

• Finalists will accept (or decline) the offer, then submit completed recent transcripts and proof of course enrollment for the next term for which funding will be made available. This can be very early in the process or later depending on individual institutional policies. We also like to see and promote scholars so an optional photo can be uploaded. For this reason and to relieve stress on the Finalist, the post-acceptance period usually remains open throughout the summer. It is important to understand that during this time, scholarship offers will not be lost; and,

• Staff work with tribal enrollment offices* to verify citizenship; and,

• Staff work with financial aid offices* to verify university attendance and financial aid eligibility.

*In some rare instances, we need the Finalist’s assistance in reaching out to these offices, but for most, IEI tries to do the heavy-lifting for Finalists. At any point in the verification process should a Finalist choose to attend a different school or their contact information changes, they can simply login to make changes or contact our offices for assistance. Disbursement of funds is conducted on a first-completed, first-funded basis, each Friday throughout each academic term. **Each year a waitlist is established. Individuals on the waitlist can see the status in OASIS. Offers to individuals on the waitlist can be made at any time during the academic year; therefore, it is important that applicants keep their information updated in OASIS and respond to all email or text communications.