Penn State's College of Education has received funding in excess of $960,000 to offer new graduate fellowships to American Indian and Alaska Native students who are interested in becoming school principals.

The initiative, titled Principals for Student Success (PSS), allows participants to earn a master's degree in Educational Leadership with principalship certification. The primary purpose is to prepare American Indian and Alaska Natives, over a four-year period, to be effective school principals in schools that serve significant numbers of Indian students.

Applications are now being accepted for the fall 2009 semester. The fellowships include a monthly stipend of $1,675, as well as allowances for dependency support, tuition, textbooks, relocation, and health insurance.

For more information, contact Dr. John Tippeconnic, American Indian Leadership Program, Suite 300 Rackley Building, University Park, Pa. 16802 (phone 814-863-1626; e-mail jwt7@psu.edu or Dr. Susan Faircloth at 814-863-3775; e-mail scf2@psu.edu.