Institutions
The College Fund supports Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) in their efforts to strengthen students, emergent leadership, education, language and culture, health and wellness, the environment, and so much more, all moving our mission of transforming Native lives and communities.
Our work in partnership with TCUs focuses on supporting our relatives from cradle to career and beyond. This institutional capacity-building work consists of supporting TCU grantee partners in co-visioning programming, technical support, professional development, research and networking opportunities, and program elements that directly support students’ and communities’ needs.
Cultivating Native Student Success
Cultivating Native Student Success provides tribal colleges and universities the opportunity to examine their current enrollment management approaches and design long-term strategies that include holistic, place-based, and collaborative student supports to promote transformative and systemic change that impacts Native student success.
2025 Cultivating Native Student Success Convening
The American Indian College Fund and AIHEC are excited to host an opportunity to learn, network, and advance TCU Native Student Success.
Native higher education experts, organization partners, and TCU staff will come together to engage in discussions, workshops and breakout sessions about the Native student journey, strategic enrollment management, data storytelling, and the constantly evolving landscape of higher education.
TCU Programs
Our Programs, in partnership with TCUs, strengthen degree programs, support faculty and staff, prioritize students, and engage tribal nation communities across several program areas of targeted impact: Native Arts, Environmental Stewardship, Computer Science, Indigenous Early Childhood Education, Native Teacher Education, Adult Education, Women’s Leadership, Native Student Veterans, and more.
Programs TCU Capacity Support and Impact
2023-2024 Data
$12.9+
MILLION
4960+
34
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.
Institutions News
Read blog updates from our institutions teams
American Indian College Fund Partners with Tribal Colleges and Universities to Focus Research on Cultural Impact
Three American Indian College Fund (College Fund) staff, along with partners from tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), were chosen in a competitive process to present two sessions at the upcoming World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education (WIPCE) in November 2025. The College Fund’s partnerships with TCUs are a testament to our shared commitment to equity, inclusivity, and impact of tribally led education.
Emily White Hat, J.D., Vice President of Programs at American Indian College Fund, Chosen to Attend the Leading Tribal Nations Program at Harvard Business School
Emily White Hat, J.D. (Sicangu Lakota), Vice President of Programs at the American Indian College Fund, was one of 76 participants in the Leading Tribal Nations Program at Harvard Business School in June.
American Indian College Fund Publishes Eighth Volume of The Tribal College and University Research Journal:
The American Indian College Fund, with generous funding from the Henry Luce Foundation, published volume 8 of the Tribal College and University Research Journal. This one-of-a-kind publication was first launched in 2016 and supports tribal college and university (TCU) faculty in disseminating their academic work to Indigenous communities and the wider research community.