Native American Gates Millennium Scholars: A Study of the Relationship of Family and Faculty to Graduation and Application to Graduate School

Using data from the Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) Program Survey of Cohorts 1, 2, 3 and 5, this study analyzed the American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) scholars to learn more about the experiences and outcomes of Native college students who receive the GMS scholarship. Specifically, the variables studied were perceptions of student-faculty interaction and family support in relation to degree completion and application to graduate school. The GMS scholarship is a renewable, last-dollar scholarship that covers the unmet financial need remaining after the Pell Grant and any other scholarships or grants that are awarded for talented students of color. The results indicate that the 127 Native GMS from 2000-2004 perceived their interactions with faculty to be positive; most also perceived positive support from their families. When students perceived that their family encouraged them to stay in college, they were significantly more likely to apply to graduate school. Overall, both student-faculty interactions and family support showed a positive relationship to graduating in six years and application to graduate school for the Native Gates Millennium Scholars. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]