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

Advocacy Works: Save Pell Grants!

Your Calls Worked with the Senate.

Next Step: Call Your Representatives

On behalf of American Indian students, of which more than 75% rely upon Pell Grants for Funding, we thank you for your ongoing work to engage with your elected officials regarding Pell Grants. As a result of your letters and calls, there has been significant progress in the Senate version of the bill affecting Pell Grants.

But our work is not finished! The next step to save Pell is to push for the House of Representatives to accept the Senate provisions in the final reconciliation package by July 4th!

Tribal College Blanket Design Contest

The latest student-designed blanket from the American Indian College Fund and Pendleton Woolen Mills is here. Created by Diné artist Angelena Cheama, Infinite Prayer honors Navajo weaving traditions and the strength of generational prayers. Proceeds support Native student scholarships.

Tribal College Blanket Design Contest

The Tribal College Blanket Design Contest, now in its seventh year, elevates the voices, work, and representation of tribal college and university (TCU) students through a high-profile platform to recognize and develop the work of promising artists through internationally distributed products—while providing TCU students with additional scholarship opportunities. The winning designs are featured in Pendleton’s American Indian College Fund collection, which features wool blankets. Pendleton, which has worked with the College Fund since 1995, has provided over $1 million in scholarship support for American Indian and Alaska Native students attending TCUs.

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

Back-to-School

Cheryl Crazy Bull, CEO and President of the American Indian College Fund shares how important tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) are and how critical it is for mainstream institutions to have support readily available for Native students.

read more

Press Release

American Indian College Fund Awards Three-Year American Indian Law School Scholarship to Jade Araujo to Attend Harvard Law School

Jade Araujo, an enrolled member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) in Massachusetts and a descendant of the Tlingit and Koyukon Athabascan tribes in Alaska, is the third person to have been awarded the American Indian College Fund Law School Scholarship. Araujo is a senior at Stanford University who will graduate in June with a degree in political science and will enter Harvard Law School in the fall. She is the daughter of Todd Araujo (Aquinnah Wampanoag) and Jaeleen Kookesh (Tlingit and Koyukon Athabascan).

read more

FOR STUDENTS

American Indian College Fund Hosts Virtual Annual Summer of Success Conference 

The American Indian College Fund (College Fund) will host its Fifth Annual Summer of Success Conference: Cultivating Connections into Success from May 19 to May 21. This three-day, interactive online event is tailored to high school and college students, staff, faculty, and families, centering Native culture, experiences, and determinants of college success.

read more

Programs

Fostering Culture and Community: Chadwick Kramer’s Impact on Native Education in Bismarck

Chadwick Kramer, an elder and Cultural Responsive Coordinator for Bismarck Public Schools, is dedicated to providing Native students with culturally enriching opportunities through the Indigenous Education Program. Inspired by his own experiences and his grandmother’s teachings, Chadwick creates welcoming spaces for all students to explore Native traditions, fostering lifelong learning, cultural understanding, and community connection.

read more

Featured News

American Indian College Fund Names 2021-22 Indigenous Visionaries

Indigenous community leaders create positive change in their communities. The American Indian College Fund is committed to developing women leaders across Indian Country through its Indigenous Visionaries Program in Tribal communities where tribal colleges and universities are located.

American Indian College Receives $1 Million Grant

The American Indian College Fund (College Fund) announced that it has received a $1 million grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) to support the College Fund’s work helping Indigenous students access a higher education. The College Fund’s work creates greater education equity in Native communities, while lifting families out of poverty.

Student News

Student Success — Managing Your Time as Student

Failing to manage your time effectively can lead to stress, which is detrimental to your health and the well-being of those around you. By using effective time management to balance work, school, and family life, you will be better equipped for the road ahead as a student and beyond.

Student Success — Self-Care

Life is full of big and small stresses, often simultaneously. Stress can come as a result of trauma, burnout, compassion fatigue, or other sources. Whatever the cause, establishing consistent self-care practices can help. Without self-care, you risk adopting unhealthy coping habits to find relief and escape.

Student Success — Giving Back

Black Elk said, “Everything the power of the world does is done in a circle.” Your education is part of that circle. As your vision of the future unfolds, we hope you will share what you have learned with others.

News from our Progams Team

College Fund Programs Team

SIPI Engages a Virtual Dialogue to Improve Early Childhood Teacher Education Programming

SIPI Engages a Virtual Dialogue to Improve Indigenous Early Childhood Teacher Education Programming

The Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute utilized its Ihduwiyayapi grant to consult community and Indigenous thought leaders to improve the Indigenous Early Childhood Education program curriculum and develop a virtual dialogue series of 4 guest lectures featuring Indigenous scholars and teachers.

College Fund in the News

Tribal Colleges Face Uncertain Future Amid Federal Funding Cuts

PBS News HourMay 20, 2025

American Indian College Fund scholar, Ella Bowen, and other tribal college and university students and faculty speak directly to how federal funding cuts enacted by the Trump Administration have had serious consequences and pose an ongoing threat to Native higher education in this piece by PBS News.

Higher Education for Native Students at a Crossroads

Native America CallingMar 19, 2025

At least 50 higher education institutions are facing investigations for what the U.S. Department of Education calls “race exclusionary” practices under the Trump Administration. President Cheryl Crazy Bull (Sicangua Lakota) of the American Indian College Fund appeared on Native America Calling to discuss the elimination of programs and initiatives that help Native students go to college and succeed once they are there as well as federal grants to higher education institutions.

Tribal College Campuses Are Falling Apart. The U.S. Hasn’t Fulfilled Its Promise to Fund the Schools.

ProPublicaOct 14, 2024

Learn why current conditions at tribal colleges and universities make it imperative to receive full funding to attract new programs, students, faculty, and staff.

Cheryl Crazy Bull Publishes Brief on Native Student College Access

The Campaign for College Opportunity has 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. This latest publication is part of the Campaign for College Opportunity's "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.

Jasmine Seeks Role as Voice for Her People and Environment as University of Michigan Law Student

University of Michigan LawOct 18, 2023

College Fund student ambassador Jasmine (Menominee) has long been an environmental activist in her community, which depends upon the environment for its economic livelihood. Today she is studying at the University of Michigan Law School to pursue a career as an attorney working in litigation and appeals after realizing that the aspect of the environmental movement that affects her the most is social justice.

Congratulations Dyani White Hawk

MacArthur FoundationOct 4, 2023

The American Indian College Fund congratulates Dyani White Hawk (Lakota), multidisciplinary artist and tribal college and university graduate, who was named a 2023 MacArthur Fellow. Read more about Ms. White Hawk, her prestigious achievement, and her art.