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School of Education
11066 Auke Lake Way
Juneau, AK 99801
Mailstop: HA1

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Preparing Indigenous Teachers & Administrators for Alaska Schools (PITAAS)

Earn your teaching degree at the University of Alaska Southeast with PITAAS.

Scholarship Overview

The Challenge: Alaska needs more Alaska Native teachers

  • In Alaska schools, Alaska Natives make up 25% of the student body and less than 5% of the teaching force.
  • In 2000, the University of Alaska Southeast created the PITAAS Program with the help of a federal grant to address this shortage of Alaska Native teachers.
  • The PITAAS Program has grown to include many services designed to meet its goals: more Alaska Native teachers and administrators in Alaskan schools, preschool through high school.
  • In 2017, PITAAS became jointly operated between UAS and Sealaska Heritage Institute, who is our grant partner for the PITAAS program.

The PITAAS Scholarship can help you earn your teaching degree at the University of Alaska Southeast!

Eligible students receive a calculated scholarship which generally covers:

  • tuition and fees for courses required for eligible programs
  • a modest stipend each semester indended to offset book costs ($100/course for undergraduates and $200/course for graduate students)
  • a housing stipend ($3,000/semester) for full-time students

Students must have junior/senior undergraduate status or be enrolled in a graduate program, be pursuing an education degree program at UAS, and have and maintain a 3.0+ GPA. The PITAAS GPA requirement is higher than UAS Financial Aid and may differ from the requirements set forth by your degree program. The conditions stated here are separate and in addition to any requirements imposed by those offices.

Eligible programs include:

Undergraduate Teacher Preparation Programs

  • B.A. Elementary Education
  • B.A. Special Education
  • B.A., B.L.A., or B.S. in an academic area leading toward a teacher certification (including English, Math, Science, Alaska Native Language & Studies, and other programs)

Post Graduate Teacher Certification Programs

Master's of Art in Teaching (M.A.T.)
  • Elementary Education
  • Secondary Education
  • Special Education
Graduate Certificates, Endorsements and Master of Education (M.Ed.) Programs
  • M.Ed. or Graduate Certificate in Reading Specialist
  • M.Ed. or Graduate Certificate in Special Education
  • Graduate Certificate in Elementary Education
  • Graduate Certificate in Secondary Education
  • M.Ed. Educational Leadership
  • Superintendent Endorsement Area

PITAAS Application

  • PITAAS 2021–2022 Application

    PITAAS accepts students on a rolling basis based on program admission. Admitted students can apply for funding through the end of the 2021–2022 academic year (Summer 2022).

PITAAS Cultural Scholarship Opportunity

Students residing in Alaska who have freshman or sophomore standing (have taken less than 60 total credits) are eligible for funding which covers all tuition/fees for eligible courses.

Eligible students:

  • Physically residing in Alaska
  • Alaska Native
  • Enrolled in a qualifying UAS course
  • 2.0+ GPA at most recently attended school, university, or trade school
  • Taken less than 60 credits at the University of Alaska (UAA/UAF/UAS)

View Spring 2022 course information on the UAS Spring Course Schedule.

PITAAS Student Spotlights

Native teacher Joshua Jackson on the PITAAS program at UAS

Personnel

Ronalda Cadiente Brown, M.A.

Ronalda Cadiente Brown, M.A.

Associate Vice Chancellor for Alaska Native Programs and Director of PITAAS

Profile and contact info