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 or a descendant of an enrolled citizen member; an enrolled citizen member of an Alaska Native Tribe or Village; an ANCSA Shareholder or descendant of a Shareholder, or Native Hawaiian².
• Be a current sophomore (class of 2029) or junior (class of 2028) 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.

NOTE: If you participated in the 2026 in-person programs, you are not eligible to reapply for a 2027 program. If you participated in the 2026 remote program, then you are eligible to reapply for a 2027 program.

¹ Indian 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.

² Documentation 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 or a descendant of an enrolled citizen member, an enrolled member of an Alaska Native Tribe or Village, an ANCSA Shareholder or descendant of a Shareholder, or Native Hawaiian AND provide appropriate documentation supporting tribal enrollment.

Provide documentation such as one of the following:

• Documentation Supporting Tribal Enrollment in a Federally or State Recognized Tribe. 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.
• Documentation Supporting Descendancy of an Enrolled Citizen Tribal Member. Official tribal documentation confirming descendancy status, including a descendant card, certificate, letter, or other written verification issued by the Tribe stating that the applicant is a descendant or direct lineal descendant of an enrolled Tribal member or citizen. 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. Please note that CH will NOT accept a birth certificate or tribal enrollment of the parent or grandparent as proof of descendancy.
• Documentation Supporting Enrollment in an Alaska Native Tribe or Village. An enrollment or membership document issued by an Alaska Native village/tribe or the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). We may also accept a CDIB issued by the BIA or a village/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.
• Documentation Supporting Alaska Native Corporation Shareholder Status or Descendant. Documentation demonstrating that the applicant is either a current shareholder of an Alaska Native Corporation established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) or a direct lineal descendant of an ANCSA shareholder. Acceptable documentation may include:
  • For ANCSA Shareholders:
    • Alaska Native Corporation (ANC) shareholder identification card;
    • Stock certificate or shareholder statement;
    • Written verification from the ANC confirming current shareholder status; or
    • Other official documentation issued by the ANC confirming the applicant’s shareholder status.
  • For Descendants of ANC Shareholders:
    • An ANC-issued descendant identification card or other official ANC documentation confirming the applicant’s status as a descendant of an ANC shareholder. Please note that CH will NOT accept a birth certificate or tribal enrollment of the parent or grandparent as proof of descendancy.
• Documentation Supporting Enrollment as a Native Hawaiian. 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 Hoʻoulu Hawaiian Data Center will also be 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.

APPLICATION TIMELINE:

November 2, 2026 | CH 2027 Student Application Opens

December 23, 2026 | College Horizons Office Closure Begins *Winter Break*

January 4, 2027 | College Horizons Office Re-Opens

January 25, 2027 | CH 2027 Student Application Deadline

February 2027 | CH Team reviews completed applications

March 2027 | Admission decisions announced. All applicants will be notified of their status via email.

March-April 2027 | Students and families attend virtual webinars to prepare for the program and book student travel.

April–May 2027 | Students complete pre-program assignments.

June 14, 2027 | All Students attend a remote Opening Ceremony.

June 14–18, 2027 | Admitted Students attend Remote Program.

June 25-30, 2027 | Admitted Students attend Stanford University program.

July 18-23, 2027 | Admitted Students attend Colorado College program.

APPLICATION COMPONENTS:

All components are due January 25, 2027 at 10:00 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?
     • CULTURAL CONNECTION: Tell us about your involvement with your Native/Indigenous culture, community, homelands/villages or Nation.
   • Essay Prompt: 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.
     You may answer ANY of the following prompts in your personal essay:
     • What are your hopes and dreams for the future?
     • How will a college education benefit you, your family, your community?
     • What will be your contribution to future generations?
     • What are you passionate about? What makes you happy?
     • Who are you as a friend and relative?
     • What are you like in your school and in your community?
     • How do you see yourself as a Native student? 
     • What in your value systems or worldview has shaped who you are?
     • What hardships have you overcome and what did you learn about yourself?
     • What accomplishments are you most proud of?
     • 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?
       Do not repeat your responses from your short answer questions; this is an opportunity to tell us a new story about yourself.

1. 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 or a descendant of an enrolled citizen member, an enrolled citizen member of an Alaska Native Tribe or Village, an ANCSA Shareholder or descendant of a Shareholder, or Native Hawaiian AND provide appropriate documentation supporting 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.
   
2. Teacher Recommendation Form
   Students must invite one teacher in a CORE academic subject (Math, Science, History, English, or Indigenous/Foreign Language) from this current 2026-27 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.
3. 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 2026-27 first semester grades. Students are responsible for inviting their Counselors to this form in their online portal.
4. 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 to verify income.

PROGRAM COST:

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

Students are required to book their airline tickets with the CH designated travel agent. The average cost of a ticket to attend College Horizons for continental travel is between $600-$800. The average cost of a ticket to attend College Horizons from Hawaii and Alaska to the mainland is between $1,000-$1,300. Because the programs run in the summer, this is peak travel season when ticket prices are more expensive and College Horizons sets specific travel windows for student arrival and departure.

To be considered for Financial Assistance, parents/guardians must complete the financial section in the Parent/Guardian Form AND submit recent tax returns to verify income.

TRAVEL AID

College Horizons offers financial assistance to families who qualify for need-based aid. Financial Aid assistance is limited and not guaranteed. In this context, financial assistance refers specifically to airfare support provided to a student to facilitate participation in or access to one of CH’s Program. Financial assistance 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.

TRAVEL PARAMETERS

• All students must book their airline tickets with the College Horizons designated travel agent.
• Please note that we will not allow families to book airfare on their own or use mileage program points.
• All students will have pre-selected flights approved by CH staff and will be booked roundtrip flights by our Travel Agent from their home airport that was listed on their application and parent form to and from the program.
• If you receive airfare aid and request your roundtrip ticket be changed to one-way, you will forfeit your aid. One-way tickets indicate you have other plans, are traveling to/from another program, family vacation, extending stay in the area for personal use – you can continue with these plans and request a one-way ticket, but CH can no longer provide you aid for a one-way ticket. To meet our own grant funding requirements, CH can only sponsor round-trip tickets.
• Need-based mileage or gas reimbursement is NOT provided as financial assistance, only airfare support.