The CIRI Foundation

The CIRI Foundation directs educational support to Alaska Native students connected to Cook Inlet Region, Inc. (CIRI), with eligibility centered on original enrollees and their lineal descendants. Its work is organized around scholarships that help students move from high school into college and continue through undergraduate, graduate, and even doctoral study. The organization’s audience is clearly defined: Alaska Native shareholders of CIRI and their descendants, including students pursuing associate, bachelor’s, graduate, professional certification, and Ph.D. pathways.

Its scholarship portfolio shows a structured approach to academic progression and achievement. The CIRI Foundation Excellence Annual Scholarship supports full-time students seeking bachelor’s or graduate degrees, carries a minimum 3.50 GPA requirement, and offers awards of up to $10,000. That program also emphasizes community service and an intent to give back, especially to the Alaska Native community, making service a visible part of the foundation’s educational priorities. Other named programs broaden the reach of that support. The CITC Tribal Higher Education Scholarship serves undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students, including part-time students and those with a GED, while the Raven Fund Jump Start Scholarship focuses on high school seniors who are concurrently enrolled in college and working toward a professional certification, associate degree, or bachelor’s degree.