Sealaska Scholarship Program



Sealaska offers financial support for students who want to go to college or vocational schools. Investing in the vision and hard work of people in our community is important.

Scholarship Application

About Sealaska's Scholarships

Sealaska is dedicated to advancing the opportunities of Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian people through leadership opportunities that include access to higher education and vocational training.

Sealaska supported 415 full and part-time students for the 2021-2022 academic year, totaling $1 million. To date, Sealaska has awarded approximately 11,000 scholarships totaling $20 million.

The program is made possible through a partnership with Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI). Applications are open each year on December 15.

About Sealaska Heritage Institute's Scholarships

Judson L. Brown Scholarship

Chris and Mary McNeil established the scholarship fund in 2006 in honor of Chris’ uncle, Tlingit leader Judson Lawrence Brown, who was the first Chair of the Sealaska Heritage Foundation, now known as the Sealaska Heritage Institute, and a forceful advocate for education and leadership development. The endowment is administered by Sealaska Heritage Institute.

Ruth Demmert Language Scholarship

The scholarship is named after Ruth Demmert of Kake, a fluent Tlingit speaker, teacher and tireless advocate for the revitalization of the language. She is so highly regarded that the Organized Village of Kake designated her as a cultural treasure. The fund was named in her honor at the urging of participants at SHI’s 2018 Native language summit, which drew more than 70 fluent Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian speakers and 200 language learners. Ruth is Raven from the Kaach.ádi clan, and her Tlingit name is Kaanak.