For Native women pursuing higher education while raising families, working and serving their communities, the journey to earning a degree is often about much more than personal achievement. It is about creating opportunities for their children, preserving cultural identity and building stronger futures for generations to come.
The Jeannette Rankin Foundation is helping make those aspirations possible through its Tribal Scholar Grant program, providing direct financial assistance and ongoing wraparound support to Native women. Established as a Montana pilot program in 2022 and expanded nationally, the Tribal Scholar Grant program serves eligible students age 25 and older attending Tribal Colleges across the country.
As the Rankin Foundation celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, the program represents an extension of first U.S. Congresswoman Jeannette Rankin’s lifelong commitment to advancing women and her expressed desire later in life to expand opportunities for Native Americans.
Unlike traditional scholarships restricted to tuition and books, Rankin Scholar Grants provide up to $3,000 annually in unrestricted nontuition funding that is renewable for up to five years. Funds go directly to Scholars, allowing them to address real-life financial needs, from groceries and housing to childcare and transportation.
Beyond financial assistance, the wraparound support Scholars are offered include coaching, mentoring and weekly Scholar Support Hours led by dedicated Tribal Scholar support specialists with Indigenous backgrounds. These resources foster a sisterhood of solidarity and connection, helping women navigate the challenges and isolation that can accompany pursuing higher education as nontraditional students.
For women students, access to unrestricted funding and support services that recognize challenges and responsibilities beyond the classroom makes a meaningful difference in their ability to stay enrolled and complete their degrees. Last school year, Rankin Scholars across the country persisted at three times their demographic average, with 96% either graduating or continuing their studies.
Finding her voice through storytelling
For Robyn Kay Wayne, an Apsáalooke (Crow) and Northern Cheyenne woman and mother of two, education has opened doors to a career dedicated to telling Indigenous stories.
A first-generation college student who grew up on the Northern Cheyenne and Crow reservations, Wayne graduated from Salish Kootenai College in 2023 before continuing her journalism education at the University of Montana and graduating with her bachelor’s in 2025.
A Rankin Scholar Alum, Wayne has pursued her passion for storytelling through journalism, art and cultural expression. She currently works as a television news reporter for KPAX-TV in western Montana, bringing Indigenous perspectives and experiences to broader audiences.
Today, Wayne sees her accomplishments as an example for the next generation, particularly her two daughters.
“What makes me most proud is setting an example for my family, my children and my peers,” she said.
Creating opportunities for future generations
Mindy Looking Back, a recent graduate of Sitting Bull College, Rankin Scholar Alum and executive director of Bridges Against Domestic Violence in Mobridge, S.D., exemplifies the determination of Native women pursuing education to build stronger futures for themselves and their communities.
Looking Back also serves as co-chair of the South Dakota Coalition Ending Domestic and Sexual Violence and on the Sitting Bull College Criminal Justice Advisory Board. She is putting her education into action by helping survivors of domestic and sexual violence find safety, support and resources to rebuild their lives.
Looking Back recently shared her experiences during a Rankin Scholar panel in Missoula, Mont., offering insight into the educational journeys of women who return to school while navigating other responsibilities.
Her participation highlighted an important aspect of the Rankin Foundation’s mission: recognizing Scholars not simply as recipients of financial support, but as women whose experiences, leadership and accomplishments can encourage others to pursue their own goals.
For women like Wayne and Looking Back, education represents far more than a diploma. It is an investment in their voices, their families and the future of Indian Country.
Building on a 50-Year legacy
Founded in 1976 through Jeannette Rankin’s estate, the Rankin Foundation has awarded more than 3,000 grants to women pursuing education later in life. The Tribal Scholar Grant program builds on that legacy while recognizing the essential role Tribal Colleges play in educating Native students, sustaining Indigenous cultures and preparing leaders to serve their communities.
Applications are now open through Feb. 12, 2027. Eligible applicants must be enrolled Tribal members attending a Tribal College, demonstrate financial need and be pursuing a vocational education, first associate’s or first bachelor’s degree.
Learn more about the Rankin Foundation Tribal Scholar Grant, eligibility and application process at rankinfoundation.org/native-woman-scholar-grant/.
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