Interior Department Transfers Additional $4 Million to Cobell Education Scholarship Fund

WASHINGTON – With its newest contribution, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced today that it has transferred $4 million to the Cobell Education Scholarship Fund (Scholarship Fund), bringing the total transferred funds to nearly $35 million. The Scholarship Fund -- funded in part by the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program) and authorized by the Cobell Settlement -- provides financial assistance through scholarships to American Indian and Alaska Native students wishing to pursue post-secondary and graduate education, and training.

The Buy-Back Program was created to implement the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement, which provided $1.9 billion to purchase fractionated interests in trust or restricted land from willing landowners. Consolidated interests are transferred to tribal government ownership for uses benefiting the reservation community and tribal members.

https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/interior-department-transfers-additional-4-million-cobell-education-scholarship-fund