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 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
Congratulations to Our Graduates
On behalf of the American Indian College Fund, we congratulate American Indian and Alaska Native college graduates. Your persistence while confronting a year that was like no other demonstrated your strength and will to succeed. Your commitment is an inspiration to your families, your communities, and all of us. Your ancestors are proud of you. We see you, we honor your achievements, and we wish you the best of everything in the futures that await you. Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO, American Indian College Fund
Press Release
American Indian College Fund Celebrates National Tribal College and University Week in Washington, D.C.
The American Indian College Fund (the College Fund) joins the American Indian Higher Education Consortium and its member tribal colleges and universities to celebrate National Tribal College Week beginning February 5. Native students, tribal college presidents, and American Indian College Fund staff will pay visits to U.S. legislative leaders who have tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) in their states.
FOR STUDENTS
The Mellon Foundation Awards $2,585,000 to American Indian College Fund
The Mellon Foundation Awards $2,585,000 to American Indian College Fund Grant Supports Indigenous High School Students’ Paths to College, College Transfer Students, and College Retention Denver, Colo., June 8, 2022—The Mellon Foundation has awarded the American Indian...
Programs
Featured News
More than 100 College Fund Scholarships Pave Way to College
The American Indian College Fund’s approach to eliminating financial barriers to college for Native students is featured on cardrate.com. David Bledsoe, Student Engagement and Communications Manager at the College Fund, speaks about the Full Circle Scholarship Program (accepting applications until May 31 at collegefund.org/scholarships) and career readiness programs the College Fund offers.
Celebrate National Tribal Colleges and Universities Week!
The American Indian College Fund is excited to share that the U.S. Congress designated the week beginning February 28, 2021 as National Tribal Colleges and Universities Week. The College Fund serves the 35 accredited higher education institutions located on more than 70 campuses in 13 states across the nation, providing them with programmatic and infrastructure support.
Advocate for Native Representation in Education and Support Deb Haaland’s Confirmation as Secretary of Interior
Tell all U.S. senators that Representative Deb Haaland has the experience and leadership we need at the U.S. Department of Interior. The American Indian College Fund is joining allied Native organizations to advocate for Haaland’s confirmation as part of #DebForInterior Week of Action from Monday, February 22 to Wednesday, February 24. Join us during the #DebForInterior Week of Action to generate a groundswell of public awareness and support for Congresswoman Haaland for her confirmation.
Student News
Tribal College Week Brings TCU Students to D.C.
Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) winter meetings for Tribal College Presidents and Students. Each year representatives from the 37 different tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) meet up for an advocacy workshop and Capitol Hill visits.
One the Road Again: Montana Tribal College Fair
We are on the road again in Montana for the 2015 Montana Tribal College Career Fair Circuit on Feb. 2-10. Montana has the most Tribal College and Universities (TCUs) and TCU students than any other state and we are excited to join this event for the fifth year.
Scholar Seeks Engineering Degree to Contribute to Community Needs
Charmayne is assisting Field Engineers and Engineering Technicians in general surveying and surveying potential construction projects within Eastern Navajo Agency. She says this has inspired her to continue her education in the field. “I am preparing drawing and sketches in the field for individual homes from rough drawings and sketches and drafts for project summaries and construction plans that are reviewed by higher-level technicians.
News from our Progams Team
College Fund Programs Team
Fond Du Lac Tribal and Community College Earth Week: It’s a Small World
Emily Lockling (Fond du Lac...
From Surviving to Thriving: Sisseton Wahpeton College Fellows
LaVerne Whitebear (Fort Peck...
The Voices of Indigenous Visionaries: Highlights of the 2019-2020 Grant Year
The Indigenous...
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
