Chief Manuelito Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Office of Navajo Nation Scholarship and Financial Assistance

The  Navajo Nation established the Chief Manuelito Scholarship program in  1980 to recognize high achieving high school graduates. The scholarship  honors Chief Manuelito, Hastiin Ch’ilhaajiin, (1818-1893)  who encouraged the Navajo people to seek education and protect and  preserve Navajo tradition and culture Students meeting the criteria for  the Chief Manuelito Scholarship are awarded $7,000 per academic year to  cover direct educational expenses associated with attending a  post-secondary institution. Chief Manuelito Scholarship recipients are  required to maintain a 3.0 GPA and earn 12 or more semester credit  hours, based on college-level graded courses, for each academic term.

High School Graduates – Eligibility

1. High School graduates with a minimum ACT (SAT scores will be converted) composite score and a minimum GPA are compared:
   1. A high school graduate with below 3.0 GPA in not eligible or a ACT score below 21
   2. A high school graduate with 3.0 GPA must have 29+ ACT score
   3. A high school graduate 3.1 GPA must have 28+ ACT score
   4. A high school graduate 3.2 GPA must have 27+ ACT score
   5. A high school graduate 3.3 GPA must have 26+ ACT score
   6. A high school graduate 3.4 GPA must have 25+ ACT score
   7. A high school graduate 3.5 GPA must have 24+ ACT score
   8. A high school graduate 3.6 GPA must have 23+ ACT score
   9. A high school graduate 3.7 GPA must have 22+ ACT score
   10. A high school graduate 3.8 GPA must have 21+ ACT score

     2. Completion  of required courses including Navajo Language (1 unit high school  credit or 1+ college credit) and Navajo Government (.5 unit high school  credit or 1+ college credit) prior to high school graduation date.

     3.Students,  who do not have access to either Navajo Language or Navajo government  classes, have online options to fulfill the requirement. Fees apply to  both and are the sole responsibility of the applicant. The ONNSFA is not  obligated to pay for courses.

• Rosetta  Stone Navajo Language Exam: Score 85 percent or better on the Navajo  Language Renaissance (NLR) exam to fulfill the Navajo language  requirement.
• American  Academy: Complete coursework from American Academy to fulfill the  Navajo government and/or language requirement.

24/3 Rule for Undergraduates – Eligibility

Full-time undergraduates also may qualify upon meeting the following criteria:

1. Completion  of 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.