The future of my nation begins with my education.
The future of my nation begins with my education.
Our Vision
The vision of the American Indian College Fund is for healthy, self-sufficient, and educated American Indian and Alaska Native people.
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.
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.
Celebrate Native Graduates Across Indian Country
We’re celebrating the strength, dedication, and achievement of Native scholars nationwide. Whether earning a diploma, certificate, or college degree—your journey is powerful. Congratulations on investing in yourself and your future!
Featured News
Urgent! Oppose Cuts to Pell Grant Program!
The American Indian College Fund joins the National College Access Network in urging higher education allies to oppose massive cuts to the Pell Grant program and its support of our most vulnerable students. The “Big Beautiful Bill” eliminates Pell Grants for an estimated 1.4 million, or 20% of current Pell Grant recipients – specifically including students attending college part-time while they work minimum wage jobs and/or care for family members. More than half of Pell Grant recipients would see their award reduced or eliminated, including more than 75% of Native American students attending a tribal college.
Don’t delay! Raise your voice today to prevent harmful cuts to the Pell Grant program and help hard-working TCU students complete their college educations.
Featured Reports
Report on Native Higher Education Success Strategies
The American Indian College Fund held a joint convening with the Brookings Institute and the Institute of Higher Education Policy to examine the status of Native higher education policy and create a proactive, strategic approach to increase policy engagement for Native students and their allies. This report highlights the findings and recommendations of the convening and lays the groundwork for further activities. Read the executive summary, the full report, or view the webinar to learn more.
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
$310.6
MILLION
Invested into Native Communities
159,652
SCHOLARSHIPS
Awarded since 1989
93%
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
Charity Navigator
View our Charity Navigator profile
BBB Wise Giving Alliance
View our give.org charity profile
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.
Watch: Jasmine Neosh on the Importance of Supporting Tribal Colleges
Jasmine Neosh (Bear Clan, Menominee) is a College Fund ambassador and third-year law student at the University of Michigan. Live from Ann Arbor, she highlights the need to protect federal programs that expand Native students’ access to tribal colleges.
Once burdened by student loan debt and housing instability, Jasmine found opportunity at the College of Menominee Nation, where she earned her undergraduate degree and gained valuable research experience. Her tribal college education prepared her for law and natural sciences graduate studies at Michigan, equipping her to serve her community.
She urges College Fund scholars and supporters to advocate for Native higher education initiatives in Washington.
Recent Blog Posts
From Our President
The Importance of Giving: Native Nonprofit Day 2023
As a Native-led and serving charity, the American Indian College Fund knows the importance of this day and the awareness it brings. Without the generosity of our partners and donors, we would not be able to offer more than 4000 Native students scholarships and other support services each year. But there is still a great deal of work to be done, not just for our Native students, but for our Native communities as a whole.
Press Release
American Indian College Fund Earns Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator
The American Indian College Fund is proud to announce that its strong financial health and ongoing accountability and transparency have earned it a Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator. This rating designates the College Fund as an official “Give with Confidence” charity, indicating it is using its donations effectively based on Charity Navigator’s criteria.
FOR STUDENTS
Veteran Student Uses Fellowship to Lead Mental Health Awareness Efforts
"Leadership is the capacity to translate a vision into reality" - Warren Bennis By Tori Primeaux On October 30, 2023, I heard about an opportunity through the American Indian College Fund for a fellowship for Native students who are veterans to grow as leaders as they...
Programs
Sinte Gleska University Prioritizes Appreciation of GED Students
Sinte Gleska University always takes the time to ensure its HSE students feel valued and appreciated.
Featured News
College Fund Statement on Student Loan Forgiveness
The College Fund is pleased that President Biden has announced that individuals making under $125,000 a year may cancel $20,000 of their student loan debt. Affordable access to higher education for Indigenous students was lacking up until the 1960s and creating those pathways to higher education was the intention of the founders of the tribal college movement.
Four National Native Scholarship Providers Release National Study on College Affordability for Indigenous Students
The National Native Scholarships Providers (NNSP) has released its first-ever National Study on College Affordability for Indigenous Students. Researchers have found the primary obstacle to college completion is affordability, causing overall college student attrition. Yet until NNSP’s research, the national data on the effect of college affordability on Indigenous students’ college completion had not been fully explored.
Sovereign Nations Series: Flags Symbolize National Identity for Tribal Nations and TCUs
June 14 is Flag Day, when the United States commemorates the adoption of the U.S. flag, reflective of the status of the U.S. as a sovereign nation. The Stars and Stripes, recognizable throughout the world, prompted me to think about the symbolism of flags and their representation of national identity, such as that the U.S. flag represents. Tribal flags are also representative of sovereign nations. The celebration of Flag Day a suitable time to share insights into our history and our contemporary lives as Tribal people.
Student News
Student Self Care – Student Success
Self-Care starts with understanding what nourishes you, and what exhausts you. Two College Fund Scholars – Marcus Red Shirt (Oglala Lakota) from Haskell Indian Nations University and Elizabeth Ton (Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin) from the University of Wisconsin-Superior, are sharing some self-care tips that help them to stay healthy and succeed at college:
Student Spotlight: Charity Valentin – American Indian College Fund
American Indian College Fund Full Circle Scholarship Recipient, Charity Valentin (Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe) has three children and lives in Hayward, Wisconsin. Like many students, she has followed a non-traditional path to college – returning 10 years after high school. Charity obtained her Associate’s Degree from Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College
Student Spotlight: Alumnus Dakota Kahbeah
American Indian College Fund Full Circle Scholarship recipient Dakota Kahbeah is from Okmulgee, OK, and is a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. He recently graduated from the College of the Muscogee Nation, where he majored in tribal services.
News from our Progams Team
College Fund Programs Team
Tohono O’odham Community College’s Pre-College Program Graduates Three GED Students in 2022 and Launches Pre-College GED FAST TRACK Option in 2023
Tohono O’odham Community College continues to make strides in pre-college pathway options for Native students, setting them up for success in their college and career journeys.
Native Plants: Cultural and Environmental Importance
The Native Plant Revival project goal is to restore native plans while sharing their benefits and connections to Indigenous people, their importance for the ecosystem, and ways they can provide for every creature and organism.
College Fund in the News
Tribal Colleges Face Uncertain Future Amid Federal Funding Cuts
Higher Education for Native Students at a Crossroads
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
