The future of my nation begins with my education.
The future of my nation begins
with my education.
The American Indian College Fund invests in Native students and tribal college education to transform lives and communities.
Our Vision
Since its founding in 1989, the American Indian College Fund has been the nation’s largest charity supporting Native student access to higher education. We provide scholarships and programming for American Indian and Alaska Native students to access higher education. And once students are in college, we provide them with the tools and support to succeed.
This Native American Heritage Month President Cheryl Crazy Bull of the American Indian College Fund shares how your support helps Native American students—and why it matters more than ever.
Upcoming Events
Denver EATSS
November 23rd, 2024
Originally home to more than 10 nations, Colorado is steeped in American Indian roots. Today, we are excited to bring back a night of total immersion in Native culture, with art, food, discussion, and music from Indigenous creators.
Book Club: Deborah Taffa
November 26th, 2024
Deborah Jackson Taffa, author of “Whiskey Tender”, discusses her work with College Fund President Cheryl Crazy Bull as part of our Native American Heritage Month 2024 Book Club series.
Twin City EATSS
Spring 2025
Rescheduled to Spring 2025, this one-night-only event aims to bring together the tradition and diversity of Native culture and expression, served to you at the esteemed Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis.
American Indian boarding school students. U.S. Library of Congress.
Featured News
President Biden Apologizes on Federal Boarding School Policy
Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, said, “The legacy of boarding schools touches nearly every Native American alive today. This federal policy with a goal of total assimilation of Native people saw abuses perpetuated on our family members across several generations. Yet this dark period in American history is largely unknown to non-Natives. I hope President Biden’s apology not only raises awareness of true Native history in our country but is a step towards national reconciliation and healing.”
American Indian boarding school students. U.S. Library of Congress.
Featured News
Cheryl Crazy Bull Publishes Brief on Native Student College Access
The Campaign for College Opportunity published “Ensuring College Access and Success for American Indian/Alaska Native Students,” authored by Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, as part of its “Affirming Equity, Ensuring Inclusion, and Empowering Action,” a national initiative that elevates best practices supporting the college preparation, admission, affordability, and success of minoritized students that came in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to curtail the use of race in college and universities admissions. The Campaign’s national initiative seeks to ensure America does not return to an era of exclusion in higher education.
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Despite centuries of trauma connected with education as an assimilation tool, American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) peoples have remained resilient and advocated tirelessly to achieve equal opportunity in higher education, building a movement to restore Native culture and community life with the creation of tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCUs). Yet the participation of AIAN people in higher education remains low with 16% of AIAN people ages 25-64 earn a bachelor’s degree compared to 32% of the rest of the U.S. population. The number of Native youths in higher education is significantly less than that of the rest of the U.S. population and substantially decreased over the last 10-15 years.
President Crazy Bull urges all colleges and universities to strive for ensuring equal opportunity, inclusion, and creating a strong sense of belonging on their campuses, and for learning from TCUs to build education institutions that honor Native identity and empower these students to succeed. “Ensuring College Access and Success for American Indian/Alaska Native Students” presents the current state of higher education access and completion for American Indian/Alaska Native Students (AIAN) and details a series of best practices and recommendations that ensure AIAN students can succeed in higher education without abandoning their cultures. The brief also explores how leaders at the federal, state, and institutional level can ensure access to higher education for AIAN students in ways that affirm their cultures and the unique sovereign political status of American Indian and Alaska Natives.
Our Impact
MILLION
Invested into Native Communities
SCHOLARSHIPS
Awarded since 1989
%
OF OUR SCHOLARS
Give back to their communities
How Your Donations are Used
4%
Management and General
23%
Fundraising
73%
Scholarships, Programs, and Public Education
A Commitment to Donors
Guidestar
2023 Gold Seal of Transparency
Best Charity
Certified by America’s best charities
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BBB Wise Giving Alliance
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Tribal Colleges and Universities
Tribal colleges and universities provide dynamic higher education opportunities, most on or near reservation lands. Known for their remarkable programs, culturally-relevant curricula, and familial student care – tribal colleges allow students to further their careers, attain an advanced degree, or better support their communities.
Recent Blog Posts
From Our President
Press Release
Diné College Dual Credit Program presents at the 2024 NACEP Conference
Orlando, Fla., October 28, 2024. The 2024 National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) conference in Orlando served as a platform for discussing strategic planning for dual enrollment students, particularly those from Native and Indigenous...
FOR STUDENTS
American Indian College Fund Launches Virtual Learning Series to Tribal College Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Students
Two of the American Indian College Fund’s (College Fund) programs are collaborating to launch a new virtual learning series for early childhood educators as well as elementary and secondary educators in Indigenous communities.
Programs
Featured News
American Indian College Fund Statement on President Biden’s Apology on Federal Boarding School Policy
American Indian College Fund...
Student News
American Indian College Fund Launches Virtual Learning Series to Tribal College Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Students
Two of the American Indian College Fund’s (College Fund) programs are collaborating to launch a new virtual learning series for early childhood educators as well as elementary and secondary educators in Indigenous communities.
American Indian College Fund Celebrates National Transfer Student Week
To create awareness about how to successfully transfer to a college or university, with opportunities to hear from other Native students who have navigated the process, the American Indian College Fund will host two webinars: Transfer 101 and a Transfer Student Experience panel. Participants will also have access to a transfer process toolbox online. The College Fund is also creating awareness of transfer activities at TCUs by providing $2000 to institutions to assist transfer students by hosting on-campus events, augmenting transfer student resources, or compensating potential transfer student site visits.
Orange Shirt Day
The American Indian College Fund remembers generations of Native students who were forced to attend American Indian boarding schools by marking Orange Shirt Day.
News from our Progams Team
College Fund Programs Team
A New Direction
The complexity of Native people and their identities drew Anna to sculpture, video performance, and installation. She uses her familial and formal training to disrupt stereotypes of Natives by telling multi-dimensional stories. The story drives her choice of technique and materials, defying boundaries around Native art.
Bringing Baleen Basketry Into the Future with Ira Ilupak Frankson
Ira Ilupak Frankson, an Iñupiaq artist from Tikiġaq, Alaska, is preserving the traditional art of baleen basketry, an Iñupiat craft made from bowhead whale baleen and walrus ivory. Through his work and teaching, Frankson is helping to revitalize this unique cultural art form for future generations.
College Fund in the News
Tribal College Campuses Are Falling Apart. The U.S. Hasn’t Fulfilled Its Promise to Fund the Schools.
Cheryl Crazy Bull Publishes Brief on Native Student College Access
Jasmine Seeks Role as Voice for Her People and Environment as University of Michigan Law Student
Congratulations Dyani White Hawk
Higher Education Leaders Respond To Court’s Affirmative Action Ruling
