When Native students are supported in ways that honor and uplift who they are, higher education is stronger for everyone. That message guided the College Board’s 2026 Native American Student Advocacy Institute (NASAI) Conference. Educators, leaders in tribal education, advocates, and community partners gathered June 3–5 in Phoenix, Arizona, the homelands of the Akimel O’Odham and Piipaash peoples and their ancestors, to advance success for Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander students and close long-standing opportunity gaps.
NASAI provided a meaningful space for eight members of the American Indian College Fund (College Fund) team to connect with Native professionals across Indian Country, share knowledge, and contribute to national college access and student success conversations. The conference focused on the themes of joy, belonging, and identity—essential to helping Native students feel seen, valued, and supported in higher education.
Tiffany Gusbeth, Vice President of Student Success Services at the College Fund and a member of NASAI’s National Advisory Committee moderated the mainstage session. Drawing from her experiences as a Native student, tribal college graduate, and Native professional in the field, Gusbeth set the stage for a powerful panel discussion.
Gusbeth was joined by keynote speaker Andrea Ramon, Indigenous Educator at O’odham Ñi’okĭ Ki: (O’odham Language Center), and College Fund Student Ambassadors Memory Long Chase and Antoinette Gallegos. Gusbeth noted, “There is a great responsibility to be honest about the challenges and barriers we experience as Native people but also the brilliance and strength we bring into every room.” The stories demonstrated how representation, strong relationships, and culturally responsive support matter—and how community-centered practices can change Native students’ lives.
The College Fund’s Student Engagement and Communications team led the session, Recognizing Meaningful Storytelling to Craft Engaging Newsletters. Participants learned how to create authentic, culturally grounded visual and written content that represents Native students and connects with them and partners. The session offered group discussions and practical methods for respectfully collaborating with Native communities. It included step-by-step execution strategies for building sustainable workflows to strengthen Native student communication skills. Mariah Plummer, Program Administrator at the College Fund, noted her role is dedicated to this field and she was proud to share strategies and data-driven expertise to help others. Her co-presenter, Leala Pourier, Program Coordinator, shared, “I have presented at conferences before, but never at one with such a large reach and powerful atmosphere as NASAI.”
The College Fund team also led the session, Higher Pathways: How Mini-Grants Drive College Access in Native Communities, highlighting how community-led investments enhance college access, FAFSA completions, family engagement, and Native post-secondary educational enrollment. Brittany Tabor, Program Administrator for College Access, shared how Higher Pathways mini-grants support Native-serving schools and tribal organizations to strengthen college-going cultures and expand college readiness resources. Participants learned strategies for designing, implementing, and evaluating culturally responsive, community-based college access initiatives for Native communities.
Using research and data was also featured in the conference. During Campus Climate and Belonging: New National Data to Improve Higher Education, the National Native Scholarship Providers (NNSP) Research Group shared findings from the Campus Climate and Sense of Belonging Executive Summary, a study highlighting Native college students’ perceptions of their experiences at their college/universities and how they provide support for success. The NNSP group includes the American Indian College Fund, AISES, the Cobell Scholarship Program administered by Indigenous Education, Inc., and Native Forward Scholars Fund.
Dr. David Sanders, Vice President of Research, Evaluation and Faculty Development at the College helped session attendees understand how tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) uniquely support their students with a “whatever it takes” perspective compared to other post-secondary institutions.
Dr. Sanders said, “We are incredibly happy to elevate the work of the NNSPs as a whole and for me, the College Fund in particular, we know our research is novel and that the outcomes of it provide institutions of all types an opportunity to assess how they support their Native students.”
Weston Jones, Program Administrator—Native Student Advocate, and Kelley Mitchell, Senior Program Officer for College Access & Success at the College Fund also attended. They said the conference inspired them, elevated their expertise, and brought meaningful connections to their work serving Native students.
Jones said, “The energy of the people, place, and land was very rejuvenating and reminded me of the meaningful impact that education can have.”
Mitchell said, “As we work to support and guide higher education within Native communities, we have to remember and be reminded why we do what we do and who we do it for, for our students and the next generation of Native students.”
The conference served as a reminder that Native students already bring knowledge, strength, and vision into learning spaces—and higher education must recognize and support all they carry forward, while creating space for attendees to build relationships, exchange ideas, and serve Native students with renewed purpose.
College Fund Group at NASAI
Tiffany Gusbeth, Student Ambassador Memory, and past Student Ambassador Antoinette Keynote
Mariah Plummer and Leala Pourier Presentation
Brittany Tabor’s Presentation for NASAI Conference
Loyola Rankin and Student Ambassador Joseph
