PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

The mission of College Horizons is to encourage and facilitate the higher education of Native American young people. To be eligible for College Horizons, each student must meet the following requirements:

• Be an enrolled citizen member of a federally recognized or state recognized American Indian tribe¹, Alaska Native group², or Native Hawaiian³.
• Be a current sophomore (class of 2028) or junior (class of 2027) in high school.
• Have a minimum 3.00 cumulative GPA (in core academic courses, not electives).
• Be a U.S. Citizen and currently reside in the United States.
• Submit a completed application by the priority deadline.

¹Indian tribes are sovereign and set their own rules regarding tribal enrollment and membership. To find out what requirements a specific tribe has, contact the tribe’s main office or tribal enrollment office.

²Includes a member of a federally recognized Alaska Native Tribe, an original Alaska Native Corporation settlement Act (ANCSA) enrollee, or a person issued stock from an ANCSA Regional Corporation.

³Documentation from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs will be accepted.

TRIBAL & NATIVE DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS:

To be eligible, each student must be an enrolled citizen member of an American Indian tribe, Alaska Native group, or Native Hawaiian AND provide appropriate documentation supporting tribal enrollment.

Provide documentation such as one of the following:

• An enrollment or membership document from a federally or state recognized tribe or the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).  We may also accept a Certification of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB) issued by the BIA or a tribe, only if the CDIB includes tribal enrollment information. A tribal membership document must be on tribal letterhead or be an enrollment/membership card that contains the tribal seal and/or an official signature.
• A document issued by an Alaska Native village/tribe or an Alaska Native Corporation Settlement Act (ANCSA) regional or village corporation acknowledging membership or shareholder status; or a CDIB issued by the BIA or tribe, if the CDIB includes ANCSA shareholder status or information regarding membership in an Alaska Native village.  An Alaska Native village/tribe or ANCSA document must be on official letterhead or be an enrollment/membership card that contains the tribal or ANCSA seal and/or an official signature.
• A document issued by the Hawaiian Registry Program, a branch of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), or a Hawaiian Registry Card issued in accordance with OHA’s verification procedures. Documentation from the Ho’oulu Hawaiian Data Center will be also accepted.

CH will NOT accept a birth certificate for a student, parent, or grandparent as proof of tribal enrollment. CH reserves the right to verify a tribe’s federal recognition status based on the annual list published by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the Federal Register, as specified in the Federally Recognized Tribes List Act. Further, CH reserves the right to verify a tribe’s state recognition status based on the state’s list of recognized tribes, if available, or through any information made available by the state which confirms that the tribe is recognized by the state’s governmental process for tribal recognition.

CH reserves the right to verify a tribe’s federal recognition status based on the annual list published by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the Federal Register, as specified in the Federally Recognized Tribes List Act. Further, CH reserves the right to verify a tribe’s state recognition status based on the state’s list of recognized tribes, if available, or through any information made available by the state which confirms that the tribe is recognized by the state’s governmental process for tribal recognition.

APPLICATION TIMELINE:

November 3, 2025 | CH 2026 Student Application Opens

December 23, 2025 | College Horizons Office Closure Begins *Winter Break*

January 2, 2026 | College Horizons Office Re-Opens

January 28, 2026 | CH 2026 Student Application Deadline

February 2026 | CH Team reviews completed applications

March 2026 | Admission decisions announced. All applicants will be notified of their status via email.

April 2026 | Students and families attend virtual webinars to prepare for the program and book student travel.

May 2026 | Students complete pre-program assignments. Get ready to travel to College Horizons!

June 26, 2026 | Students travel to UC Berkeley and Dartmouth’s campus.

June 27-30, 2026 | Students participate in workshops about the college admissions and financial aid process.

July 1, 2026 | Students depart from the program and travel back home.

APPLICATION COMPONENTS:

All components are due January 28, 2026 at 5:00 PM MST.

The College Horizons Application includes the following five components. All five components must be submitted to be considered for admission:

1. CH Student Application
   The Student Application includes the following sections: Demographics, High School Information, Family Information, Technology Information, College Engagement Information, CH Program Site Placement, Short Answer Questions and Personal Essay.
   • Writing Requirements (Short Answer Questions & Personal Essay)
     Short Answer Questions: We ask applicants to respond to the following six short answer questions. Answers are limited to 300 words maximum.
     • KINSHIP & RELATIONALITY: Introduce yourself and your family to the College Horizons team. We encourage you to use your cultural protocol of introduction, or simply tell us about you and your family.
     • SELF REFLECTION: How have you done academically, socially, physically, and emotionally during high school? What has been challenging and frustrating? What has been going well? Where have you shown growth and improvement?
     • IN YOUR OWN WORDS: Choose three words that best describe you and explain why. Do not just list the three words, please provide an explanation about why those words best describe who you are.
     • EXTRACURRICULAR: Tell us about three extracurricular activities that are most important to you and why. These activities can encompass any responsibilities you might have at home or with family, in a civic or volunteer capacity, as well as any Tribal community or cultural roles (ceremonial, language, powwow, feast, potlatch, hālau, poi/fishpond, traditional harvesting/hunting, etc.). Awards, club activities, arts, sports, leadership positions, paid work, summer programs, etc. all count too! For students who have significant home responsibilities (beyond day-to-day chores), such as caring for siblings or elders in the home, part-time paid work, and livestock/farming/ranching responsibilities, be sure to include. Do not just list the three activities, please provide an explanation. And while you might be involved in more than three activities, we want you to highlight the top three that are most meaningful to you.
     • LEADERSHIP: Leadership takes many forms. Tell us about your most significant leadership role or contribution to a community. This could include leadership roles at home, work, school, on a team, cultural or in your Tribal community, etc. What did you learn from this role and why was it important to you?
     • COLLEGE ASPIRATIONS: Why do you want to go to college and what do you envision accomplishing with your college degree? What excites you about college? What worries or concerns do you have about applying to college or attending college?
   • Essay Prompt: In addition, we ask applicants to respond to the following essay prompt (600 Word Maximum Response). Do not repeat your responses from your short answer questions; this is an opportunity to tell us a new story about yourself.
     As Indigenous Peoples, we come from a tradition of storytellers. As individuals we are dynamic, multi-faceted, multi-dimensional, and have multiple and intersectional identities that make us unique and shape who we are and how we see ourselves. This personal essay is an opportunity for the College Horizons staff to get to know you and your future aspirations. Who are you as a friend, relative, athlete, performer, worker, neighbor, etc.? How do you see yourself as an Indigenous person and student? What has shaped your worldviews?
     You may address ANY of the following in your personal essay, but be sure to tell us how you are connected to or involved with your Native/Indigenous heritage, culture, community, homelands/villages, or Nations and how a college education might benefit you, your family, your community, and future generations.
     • What are your hopes and dreams for the future?
     • What are you passionate about
     • What makes you happy?
     • What hardships have you overcome and what did you learn about yourself?
     • What accomplishments are you most proud of?
     • Who are you as a friend, relative, athlete, performer, worker, or neighbor?
     • What are you like in your school, in your home, in your community?
     • How do you see yourself as an Indigenous person, student, etc.?
     • What in your value systems, community, culture, history, worldview has shaped who you are?
     • What experiences or people have made a big impression on you and what did you learn from them?
     • What is an event that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family?
     • Anything you feel will help us get to know you better.
2. Tribal Enrollment and Hawaiian Documentation Upload
   To be eligible for College Horizons, each student must be an enrolled citizen member of an American Indian tribe, Alaska Native group, or Native Hawaiian AND provide appropriate documentation supporting their tribal enrollment. All applicants must provide a photocopy of their official tribal enrollment OR Hawaiian ancestry verification. CH will NOT accept a birth certificate for a student, parent, or grandparent as proof of tribal enrollment. For more information please visit our FAQ page.
   
3. Teacher Recommendation Form
   Students must invite one teacher in a CORE academic subject (Math, Science, History, English, or Indigenous/Foreign Language) from this current 2025-26 academic year to complete this recommendation form. Students are responsible for inviting their Teacher to this form in their online portal.
   We do not accept recommendations from electives, coaches, or core teachers from the previous school year. Students will be required to withdraw the request and invite another teacher if an incorrect teacher is invited.
   
4. Counselor Form & Official Transcript Upload
   Students must invite their school counselor to complete this form. Counselors are responsible to upload a student’s official transcript (required) and a high school profile (if available). Please be aware that we require transcripts to reflect all grades, including 2025-26 first semester grades. Students are responsible for inviting their Counselors to this form in their online portal.
   
5. Parent/Guardian Form
   Students must invite one parent/guardian to complete this form. The parent/guardian invited will serve as the primary contact for this summer’s program. We will need to communicate application and program updates regularly with the primary parent/guardian by email and phone. Students are responsible for inviting their parent/guardian to complete this form in their online portal.Parents/Guardians will reflect on their child’s well-being and college aspirations. The form will collect the family household’s financial information so that College Horizons can:
   a. Calculate need-based financial aid eligibility for roundtrip airfare assistance, and
   b. Provide accurate financial aid advising to students and families at the program. CH offers financial assistance for round-trip airfare for families who qualify for need-based aid. To be considered for airfare financial assistance, parents/guardians must complete the financial section in the Parent/Guardian Form and submit recent tax returns.

PROGRAM COST:

The only cost to participate in College Horizons is the round-trip airfare to the program. Families are responsible to pay for the cost of travel which can include baggage fees, airline ticket, and food/snacks while traveling.

To be considered for airfare financial assistance, parents/guardians must complete the financial section in the Parent/Guardian Form and submit recent tax returns. Students will book their airline tickets with the CH-designated travel agent.

TRAVEL AID

CH offers financial assistance for round-trip airfare for families who qualify for need-based aid. In this context, financial assistance refers specifically to airfare support provided to a student to facilitate participation in or access to CH’s Program. This support is entirely based on need and does not constitute a monetary benefit, nor does it require any specific action or contribution from the student or their family to be received. If granted, this support is provided without any expectation of further action from the student.