Preparing Indigenous Teachers & Administrators for Alaska Schools (PITAAS)
Earn your teaching degree at the University of Alaska Southeast with PITAAS.
About PITAAS Scholarship
Alaska is diverse and so are our educators. The PITAAS program is a scholarship that supports students who are members of federally recognized tribes in Alaska and who want to become teachers and administrators in Alaska’s schools. A total of 267 degrees, certificates and endorsements were awarded to 172 eligible students with PITAAS scholarship support. PITAAS graduates are employed by 30 of 54 school districts across our vast state.
The Challenge: Alaska needs more Indigenous teachers
- In Alaska schools, Indigenous students 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 teachers who are members of federally recognized tribes in Alaska.
- The PITAAS Program has grown to include many services designed to meet its goals: more Indigenous teachers and administrators in Alaskan schools, preschool through high school.
The PITAAS Scholarship can help you earn your teaching degree at the University of Alaska Southeast!
Eligible students receive a calculated scholarship which generally supports:
- tuition and fees for courses required for eligible programs
Minimum Eligibility Requirements:
- Be an Alaska resident (information on AK residency can be found here).
- Must be a member of a federally recognized tribe in Alaska.
- Students must have junior/senior undergraduate status OR be enrolled in a graduate program and be pursuing an education degree program at UAS.
- 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 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 Graduate Certificate
PITAAS Application
PITAAS Student Spotlights
Alaska Indigenous Teacher Joe Lewis on the PITAAS Program at UAS
Alaska Indigenous teacher Joshua Jackson on the PITAAS program at UAS
Personnel
Ronalda Cadiente Brown, M.A.
Associate Vice Chancellor for Alaska Native Programs and Director of PITAAS
View profile and contact info