American Indian College Fund and Pendleton Woolen Mills Student Blanket Design Contest Opens November 15
Sixth Annual Competition Offers Students the Chance to Win Scholarships, Blankets, and Cash Prizes
Denver, Colo., November 13, 2025— Starting November 15, the American Indian College Fund and Pendleton Woolen Mills, the heritage lifestyle brand, are accepting submissions for sixth annual Tribal College Blanket Design Contest. American Indian and Alaska Native students attending a tribal college or university are eligible to submit up to two designs. The deadline for submissions is January 15, 2026.
The Tribal College Blanket Design Contest elevates the work of promising artists attending tribal colleges and universities (TCUs). The first-place winner will have their design distributed on products internationally, with the top three designers also receiving scholarships and cash prizes. The winning design from each year is added to Pendleton’s American Indian College Fund collection of wool blankets. Pendleton has worked with the College Fund since 1995 and has provided over $1.5 million in scholarship support for American Indian and Alaska Native students attending TCUs.
TCUs provide a critical link to higher education, career advancement, and Indigenous knowledge for their communities, often located on Indian reservations and remote, rural areas. The College Fund provides millions of dollars to thousands of TCU students every year; the blanket design contest adds to that support while elevating Native art, culture, and stories.
The Infinite Prayer blanket design created by 2024 design winner Jenabah Yazzie. Pendleton Woolen Mills produced the blanket.
Submission guidelines and applications are available on the College Fund’s website at https://collegefund.org/pendleton. Formal artistic study and textile design experience are not required. Contest design winners are selected each year by a committee comprised of Native American artists and College Fund and Pendleton staff.
Prizes for the 2025 contest winners include:
Grand Prize Winner:
- $5,000 scholarship
- $2,000 cash
- Six blankets
Second Place Winner:
- $2,500 scholarship
- $500 cash
Third Place Winner:
- $1,500 scholarship
- $250 cash
Bob Christnacht, EVP of Sales and Marketing at Pendleton said, “Pendleton’s partnership with the American Indian College Fund is one of our most meaningful and enduring collaborations. We are deeply honored that the students choose to share their artwork with us, and we remain humbled by the opportunity to help amplify their voices within their communities and beyond. Each student’s design is a reflection of personal story and heritage, and we are grateful to play a part in honoring their artistry and supporting their lasting legacy.”
About Pendleton Woolen Mills — Weaving iconic designs since 1863, Pendleton operates two of America’s remaining woolen mills located in Pendleton, Oregon and Washougal, Washington. With six generations of family ownership, Pendleton is focused on a legacy of creating quality lifestyle products with timeless styling. Inspiring customers for 160 years, Pendleton products are available at Pendleton stores across the US, select retailers worldwide, and on pendleton-usa.com.
About the American Indian College Fund — The American Indian College Fund has been the nation’s largest charity supporting Native higher education for 35 years. The College Fund believes “Education is the answer” and provided more than $23 million in scholarships and other student support for higher education in 2024-25. Since its founding in 1989 the College Fund has provided more than $391 million in scholarships, programs, community, and tribal college support. The College Fund also supports a variety of programs at the nation’s 34 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which are located on or near Indian reservations, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers. The College Fund consistently receives top ratings from independent charity evaluators. It earned a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, a Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid (formerly Guidestar), and the “Best in America Seal of Excellence” from the Independent Charities of America. The College Fund was also named as one of the nation’s top 100 charities to the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit collegefund.org.
Journalists—The American Indian College Fund does not use the acronym AICF. On second reference, please use the College Fund.
