The University of Phoenix and the Native American Basketball Invitational (NABI) have announced the full tuition of Ernest L. Stevens under the NABI Foundation. Stevens is the Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association, has been a long-time supporter of NABI and is also its current Chairman.
This scholarship is named after Stevens, who has dedicated most of his life to supporting tribal education, sports and gaming. He has been actively involved in NABI since its inception in 2003 and is a graduate of the University of Phoenix’s Master of Management program.
This is the first year the University of Phoenix has offered a full scholarship. It is a single-recipient full-tuition scholarship for a bachelor’s or master’s degree at the University of Phoenix and covers electronic resource fees.
Steven comments, “While earning my master’s in management degree at the University of Phoenix, the tribal specialists were invaluable with support and provided resources that helped me stay engaged and on track for graduation.
“I am honored that the scholarship will offer the opportunity for other tribal students to pursue their educational goals.”
The annual NABI features teams of boys and girls aged 14-19, with athletes representing tribal communities from all over North America. NABI continues to be the largest national premier Native-American basketball tournament; it is a wide platform that brings educational messaging and programs to over 1,300 youths during NABI week.
NABI games were screened on a major platform for the first time in the tournament’s history last month. ESPN+, a subscription service, streamed the semifinal and championship games on July 22 and 23 this year.
