The American Indian College Fund joins the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) in applauding the Trump administration’s recently announced increased investment in Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). This one-time allocation by the federal government for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 is progress towards fulfilling the federal government’s trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations as intended. It is also a welcome new precedent in increased investment into TCUs.
TCUs are open to all students and operate in some of the most rural parts of the United States. They provide valuable learning and training opportunities to support economic growth and job creation in remote rural areas. In addition, TCUs do not have the advantage of large endowments and generally receive little support from the states where they are located.
TCUs are chartered by their respective Tribal Nation or by the federal government and serve over 160,000 American Indian, Alaska Native, and rural residents each year through academic and community-focused programs. These opportunities uplift local, state, and regional economies and create a multiplying effect throughout the country. In FY 2022-2023 alone, TCUs generated $3.8 billion in economic growth for the United States – supporting 40,700 jobs and contributed to community improvement for all.
Federal support for TCUs upholds the government’s trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations. Investing in TCUs benefits every taxpayer, as these colleges expand broad participation in education and provide consistent opportunities for individuals from a range of backgrounds. This allocation of additional funding is an acknowledgement of the unique and historic contributions of TCUs as centers for learning, job preparation, and collaboration.
The College Fund along with AIHEC recognizes that, as part of this funding increase, dollars were shifted from other federal programs—some of which serve American Indian and Alaska Native students and other deserving students at non-TCU campuses. Although this adjustment brings new resources to our institutions it presents obstacles for students who rely on supports generated by those programs.
The College Fund joins AIHEC in encouraging future policy to ensure educational programs are available to all American Indian and Alaska Natives and other students who rely on support to access a higher education wherever they pursue post-secondary learning. We welcome this important investment and urge ongoing commitment to Tribal College and University education at all levels of government to support Tribal Colleges and Universities.
Tribal Colleges and Universities play a crucial role in some of the most remote regions in the country, not only providing technical job training and access to affordable post-secondary education but also providing economic hubs and drivers for rural America to sustain and support local economies. To learn more about how TCUs are driving national, state, and local economies, check out the AIHEC Economic Impact Study reports on their web site at aihec.org.
