The Cobell Scholarship Administered by Indigenous Education Inc.

What The Cobell Scholarship Administered by Indigenous Education Inc. does

The Cobell Scholarship Program, administered by Indigenous Education, Inc. (IEI), is a nonprofit founded in 2016 and headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The organization administers merit-based scholarships and fellowships to enrolled members of U.S. federally-recognized American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Corporations, using funding from the $60 million higher education scholarship carve-out of the landmark $3.4 billion Cobell v. Salazar settlement. The program is named after Elouise Cobell (1945-2011), a Blackfeet banking pioneer and MacArthur Fellow who led the class action.

The product portfolio spans Undergraduate, Graduate, Vocational, and Summer Scholarships, two prestigious fellowships (the Graduate Summer Research Fellowship at $5,000 per fellow and the Elouise Cobell Dissertation Writing-Year Fellowship at $30,000 per fellow over 12 months), and a community engagement layer consisting of the Cobell Community platform (powered by Hivebrite), the Cobell Leadership Development Program including the Index digital tool, Cobell Skills, Cobell Connect, and the Cobell Awards and Celebrations program. All applications are processed through the OASIS (Online Application and Scholarship Information System) portal, powered by WizeHive and accessed via WebPortalApp; disbursements are conducted on a first-completed, first-funded basis each Friday of each academic term in accordance with U.S. Federal Student Aid standards.

The business model is endowment-driven: IEI is a 9-employee nonprofit that disburses scholarship funds from a fixed settlement-derived corpus and operates application and community infrastructure through third-party SaaS providers. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on social media, campus outreach, and channel partnerships with American Indian College Fund, American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), and Native Forward Scholars Fund, all peer Native scholarship providers. The organization operates exclusively in the United States, with no disclosed revenue, no AI/ML capabilities, and no conventional funding rounds.

Name

The Cobell Scholarship Administered by Indigenous Education Inc.

Legal name

Indigenous Education, Inc.

Website

https://cobellscholar.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Cobell Scholarship Program, administered by Indigenous Education, Inc., is a nonprofit that provides merit-based scholarships and fellowships to enrolled members of U.S. federally-recognized American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Corporations pursuing higher education, funded from the $60 million education carve-out of the $3.4 billion Cobell v. Salazar settlement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Scholarships

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships (EDAIAOAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Higher Education Capacity Building & Scholarships (BPADAKAG)

Keywords

• Native american scholarships
• Higher education scholarships
• Tribal education funding
• Doctoral fellowships
• Indigenous student support

Headquarters

HQ city

Albuquerque

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Cobell Settlement Fund Distribution: The scholarship program is funded through the $3.4 billion Cobell v. Salazar settlement, with $60 million designated for higher education scholarships. Disbursement of funds is conducted on a first-completed, first-funded basis each Friday throughout each academic term.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Cobell Scholarship Program provides merit-based scholarships and fellowships to enrolled members of U.S. federally recognized American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Corporations pursuing higher education. Its portfolio includes Undergraduate, Graduate, Vocational, and Summer Scholarships along with the Graduate Summer Research Fellowship and the Elouise Cobell Dissertation Writing-Year Fellowship. The program administers applications through the OASIS Portal (powered by WizeHive) and sustains scholar engagement through the Cobell Community platform (powered by Hivebrite) and accompanying leadership, skills, networking, and recognition programs.

Product overview

The Cobell Scholarship is a comprehensive scholarship program administered by Indigenous Education Inc. that offers a portfolio of merit-based scholarships and fellowship programs for Native American students. The core product consists of the OASIS Portal (Online Application and Scholarship Information System), a digital platform powered by WizeHive that manages all scholarship applications. The organization provides multiple scholarship types including Undergraduate, Graduate, Vocational, and Summer Scholarships, along with prestigious fellowship programs including the Graduate Summer Research Fellowship and the Elouise Cobell Dissertation Writing-Year Fellowship. Additionally, the Cobell Community platform (powered by Hivebrite) supports ongoing engagement through programs like the Leadership Development Program (featuring The Index digital tool), Cobell Skills, Cobell Connect, and the Awards and Celebrations program. Awards are disbursed according to US Federal Student Aid standards, with merit-based selection and need-based funding determination by individual institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OASIS Portal (Online Application and Scholarship Information System) The OASIS Portal is the primary digital platform for accessing and managing all Cobell Scholarship applications. Powered by WizeHive and accessed via WebPortalApp, OASIS enables applicants to create profiles, verify eligibility, complete scholarship applications, and track application status throughout the review and verification process.
• Cobell Community A web-based community engagement platform powered by Hivebrite that connects current scholars, alumni, prospective scholars, reviewers, and friends of Cobell through structured communities, programs, events, and news features. Hosts programs including the Leadership Development Program, Cobell Skills, Cobell Connect, and Awards and Celebrations.
• Undergraduate Scholarship Merit-based scholarship supporting enrolled members of U.S. federally recognized American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Corporations pursuing bachelor's (BA/BS) or associate of arts (AA) degrees at nonprofit institutions. Applications accepted December 15 to March 31 annually.
• Graduate Scholarship Merit-based scholarship for enrolled tribal members and Alaska Native Corporation members pursuing master's, doctoral, or professional degrees, or post-baccalaureate studies at nonprofit institutions. Applications accepted December 15 to March 31 annually.
• Vocational Scholarship Scholarship supporting students pursuing diplomas, certificates, or Associate of Applied Science degrees in trades and vocations at nonprofit institutions. Applications accepted June 1 to May 15 year-round until funds are exhausted.
• Summer Scholarship Scholarship prioritizing students graduating during summer or following fall/spring terms, or those needing summer courses to stay on track. Applications accepted February 15 to May 4 annually.
• Graduate Summer Research Fellowship Fellowship supporting graduate students conducting research during summer months, including Master's Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation research. Five fellows selected annually from over 100 applicants, each receiving $5,000. Applications accepted September 1 to January 10.
• Elouise Cobell Dissertation Writing-Year Fellowship Prestigious fellowship providing $30,000 over 12 months to up to ten American Indian and Alaska Native doctoral scholars engaged in dissertation writing between June and May. Applications accepted September 1 to January 10 annually.
• Cobell Leadership Development Program Program connecting with the Center for Expanding Leadership and Opportunity to deliver The Index, a digital leadership tool designed to expand leadership capacities. Participants can earn a Cobell Leadership Certificate on-demand.
• Cobell Skills - Developing Skills for College Success Program focused on developing skills necessary for college success among Cobell scholars.
• Cobell Connect - Connecting Cobell Scholars Program facilitating connection and networking among Cobell scholars and alumni.
• Cobell Awards and Celebrations Program recognizing Cobell community members for outstanding accomplishments in their academic field, community contributions, and leadership skills.
• The Index - Digital Leadership Tool Digital tool developed in partnership with the Center for Expanding Leadership and Opportunity, designed to help scholars expand their leadership capacities and earn a Cobell Leadership Certificate.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 graduate applicants annually with 5 fellows selected for Summer Research Fellowship
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Native Forward Scholars FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 March 2025Co-hosting a virtual graduation regalia walk on social media with American Indian College Fund, American Indian Science and Engineering Society, and Cobell Scholarships to celebrate Native American students' cultural achievements and academic accomplishments.
• American Indian College FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 March 2025Co-hosting virtual graduation celebration for Native American students with Cobell Scholarships, American Indian Science and Engineering Society, and Native Forward Scholars Fund.
• American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 March 2025Co-hosting virtual graduation celebration for Native American students with Cobell Scholarships, Native Forward Scholars Fund, and American Indian College Fund.
• Center for Expanding Leadership and OpportunityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2023Partnership to bring 'The Index' - a digital tool designed to expand leadership capacities - to Cobell Leadership Development Program participants. Earn Cobell Leadership Certificate on-demand.
• National Native Scholarships Providers (NNSP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2022Coalition of four national Native scholarship providers (including Cobell Scholarship) that released a national study on college affordability for Indigenous students in 2022. The first-of-its-kind collaborative research increases Indigenous student visibility in higher education while informing effective practices of student support.
• HivebritecoreTechnology or IntegrationCommunity engagement platform provider powering the Cobell Community web-based platform that connects current scholars, alumni, prospective scholars, reviewers, and friends of Cobell.
• WizeHivecoreTechnology or IntegrationProvider of the OASIS (Online Application and Scholarship Information System) portal used for all Cobell Scholarship applications, document management, and disbursement tracking.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Indian Graduate Center: Historic predecessor organization to Native Forward, providing graduate scholarships to Native students. Several Cobell staff previously worked here, indicating direct operational and mission overlap.
• Native Forward Scholars Fund (formerly American Indian Graduate Center): Largest national provider of graduate fellowships to Native students. Direct peer in graduate and doctoral funding, a co-host of NNSP and virtual graduation events, and a frequent destination for Cobell alumni.
• American Indian College Fund: National Native scholarship provider offering undergraduate and graduate scholarships to AI/AN students. Direct peer given overlapping beneficiary pool, shared NNSP coalition membership, and co-marketing of Native graduation programming.
• American Indian Education Foundation: Funds scholarships for Native students attending tribal colleges and universities. Comparable in mission and beneficiary focus, particularly for tribal-college and undergraduate populations.
• American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES): National nonprofit providing scholarships and STEM programming for AI/AN students. Direct peer serving the same beneficiary population with overlapping scholarship and partner coalition activity.
• Indigenous Education Foundation: Nonprofit providing scholarships and educational support to Indigenous students, particularly in the U.S. and Canada. Comparable mission and beneficiary focus.

Emerging players

• Center for Native American Youth: Native-led organization focused on youth leadership and educational equity. Adjacent programming with overlapping beneficiary population, particularly at the K–12/early-college transition.

Broad incumbents

• United Negro College Fund (UNCF): Major minority scholarship provider with institutional scholarship administration, member colleges, and alumni programming. Comparable operational scale and platform-based scholar management.
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund: Largest U.S. minority-focused scholarship nonprofit. Comparable business model (scholarship administration, digital portal, alumni engagement) but serves Hispanic students rather than AI/AN.

Regional players

• American Association of Colleges and Universities - Indigenous Studies: Higher-ed consortium that channels programming and advocacy for Indigenous-serving institutions. Tangentially comparable through higher-ed capacity-building for Indigenous students.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CobellScholars
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3cH3kI_vjiiLjky3h5Akfw
• Facebookfacebook.com/CobellScholars
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-cobell-scholarship-administered-by-indigenous-education-inc.
• Instagraminstagram.com/cobellscholars

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Cobell Scholarship Administered by Indigenous Education Inc.