Chief Manuelito Scholarship Program

Eligibility

Chief Manuelito Scholarship Program, with an application deadline in June, offers numerous awards of $7000 each. Ethnicity requirements apply. Restricted to those with financial need.

Description

The Navajo Nation established the Chief Manuelito Scholarship program in 1980 to recognize high achieving high school graduates. High school graduates must have been admitted to a post-secondary institution with a minimum ACT (SAT scores will be converted) composite score in combination with a minimum cumulative GPA. They must have completed required courses including Navajo Language and Navajo Government prior to high school graduation date. Students, who do not have access to either Navajo Language or Navajo government classes, have online options to fulfill the requirement. Rosetta Stone Navajo Language Exam: Score 85 percent or better on the Navajo Language Renaissance (NLR) exam to fulfill the Navajo language requirement. Undergraduate students may also qualify if they are full-time students and have completed 24 semester college-level credit hours (or equivalent trimester or quarter credit hours) with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students seeking an Associate of Applied Science, Bachelors of Applied Science or Certificate are not eligible as the scholarship is limited to college-level courses. Applicants must be admitted to a postsecondary institution accredited by one of six regional accrediting associations as recognized by the Navajo Nation. The online application for the 2025-2026 Academic Year opens on March 15, 2025, and closes on June 25, 2025. The application deadline for the 2026 Winter/Spring term is November 25, 2025. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact ONNSFA for more information.