lvalu Scholarship 2026

Welcome to the Arctic Education Foundation (AEF) Ivalu Scholarship 2026 application session.

The lvalu Scholarship was created to honor eligible applicants who are making noteworthy and influential contributions to their community through their community cultural service commitment of their personal time to projects and activities which strongly incorporate the Inupiaq values. Applicant selected should serve as a role model of implementing and following the 12 Inupiaq Core Values while performing community cultural service activities. The Inupiaq Values are listed as follows:

• Respect for Our Elders and Each Other 

• Family & Kinship 

• Humility 

• Humor 

• Compassion 

• Knowledge of Language 

• Sharing 

• Cooperation 

• Avoidance of Conflict 

• Spirituality 

• Hunting Traditions 

• Respect for Nature 

Deadline

The annual deadline is June 30th. Late and/or incomplete applications will not be considered.

AEF is a private non-profit organization committed to providing financial assistance to eligible applicants pursing higher education. The goal of the foundation is to support students who are furthering their education beyond high school or to become job ready. Applicants must meet eligibility requirements to receive funding and must supply all documents required.

Reminder: AEF has semester and quarterly financial limits. Funding is awarded based on demonstrated financial need for eligible expenses including tuition, fees, books, and in some cases, room and board. We encourage you to apply for other scholarships which you may be eligible for. We particularly encourage you to submit a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) whether or not you feel you qualify for any of their grants (www.fafsa.ed.gov).

As part of this application, please be prepared to submit: 

1. Financial Need Sheet. This is a form that will be filled out by your financial aid office and submitted as part of your application. 

2. High School or Latest College/or University Transcript 

3. High School Diploma or GED (First Time Applicants Only)

4. Genealogy for Eligibility Determination (First Time Applicants Only) 

5. Two letters of recommendation 

6. Personal Essay 

Arctic Education Foundation has several areas of eligibility all of which you must satisfy in order to be determined eligible for an AEF scholarship award.

Requirements

1. You must be a member of at least one of the eligible classes of recipients: 

• A Northern Alaska Inupiat Native of at least 1/4 blood quantum currently residing in the Arctic Slope Region  

• An original 1971 shareholder of the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation  

• and/or direct lineal descendant of an original 1971 shareholder of the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation 

2. You must have a high school diploma (or GED)   

3. You must be at least 17 years old or 16 and be legally emancipated   

4. You must be a United States citizen and a United States resident   

5. You must be accepted as a Post-secondary education student for either: an undergraduate, graduate or professional degree through an accredited U.S. college or university; or for technical or vocational training through a qualified U.S. vocational or technical institution or program   

6. Must currently have and maintain a 2.5 grade point average (GPA) throughout the cycle of the award.

* “Northern Alaska Inupiat Native” is defined by AEF as an Inupiat Native who: was originally enrolled by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (“ASRC”) on December 17, 1971 the implementation date of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act [“ANCSA”; 43 USC § 1601 et seq.]; or was subsequently enrolled by ASRC as a Class E “missed shareholder” who was eligible to enroll to ASRC on such date, but failed to timely enroll and did not enroll to another ANCSA Region; or is a direct lineal descendant (by blood or adoption, not marriage) of such an Inupiat Native.