Student Development
Explore Development Opportunities
Study Skills
No matter what your grades are, everyone needs some guidance to find success in the classroom. Here are some resources to help you develop the best study habits and skills you’ll need to get your degree:
What are Office Hours? – by Andrew Ishak
Time Management: TCU Video Project Series
Focus 2 Self-Assessment
Many people struggle with choosing an academic major during school, or job industry after graduation, but choosing a path is important when choosing your classes, internships and other career opportunities.
Focus 2 combines self-assessment, career and major exploration, decision-making and planning in one place. By matching your assessment results to career options and majors/programs for your consideration, FOCUS 2 guides you through a career and education decision-making model to help you make informed career decisions and take action in planning your future.
To use this free service, register to create an account with the access code collegefund. From there, you can take each test- personality, interests, values, and skills- to build your academic and career planning profile. Print your profile to share with an academic or career counselor or mentor to discuss your career plan or transition to a new profession.
Money Management
It is also important to understand budgeting, credit, and debt management – to help you to make responsible decisions in school, and prepare for your financial life after school. Learn about the following topics in related posts — your financial future depends on it.
- Money Management — Developing Common Cents (College Fund)
- Per Cap (First Nations Development Institute)
- Financial Skills for Families (First Nations Development Institute)
- Developing Your Vision: Managing Your Money
- Your First Bank Account
- Childcare Costs (and Ways to Reduce Them)
- When Your Child Has Special Needs
- Caring For Aging Parents
- Children and Family Considerations
Student Ambassador Program
The American Indian College Fund Ambassador Program was established in 2015 to strengthen students’ and alumni personal and professional skills and to represent the College Fund.
Our Blogs
Black Hills State University in South Dakota Names Campus Building for Dr. Lionel Bordeaux, Longtime President of Sinte Gleska University
Black Hills State University in South Dakota honored Dr. Lionel Bordeaux (Sicangu Lakota), President of Sinte Gleska University and the longest-serving university president in the United States, by naming a residence hall on its campus in his honor. Bordeaux Hall gives university students a view of Crow Peak, Spearfish Mountain, and Lookout Mountain, while providing them with a place to meet, study, and learn.
KBOCC: Building the Bridge
Tribal elders are an integral part of the Restorative Teachings program, serving as an important link from past to future, and Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College’s program is no different (KBOCC). When the tribal elder who serves as the program’s cultural consultant was interviewed for the position, honesty, integrity, and respect emanated from him as he looked at each of the program’s employees in the eyes and told the stories of the Ojibwe past.
In Memory of Karen Whiting
Lakota people believe that the place we go to on our spirit journey is a beautiful place where our ancestors welcome us. The College Fund team lost a beloved colleague earlier this week when Karen Whiting, our Human Resources Manager, died unexpectedly. Karen was a gracious, caring, and professional individual.
College Fund Study to Unlock Ways Tribal Colleges Help Native Students Succeed in College and Career
Thirty-four accredited tribal colleges and universities provide higher education opportunities to American Indian communities nationwide. Now, thanks to a $450,000 three-year grant from The Kresge Foundation, the American Indian College Fund will conduct a study on student success at three tribal colleges (TCUs). These best practices will then be scaled up and replicated at TCUs and other educational institutions working with Native students.
1st Tribal Lending Builds Strong Future for Native People
Home ownership, like education, are considered to be both an investment and part of the American dream. But these paths to a strong future have not always been accessible to American Indian people. Home ownership has been problematic because not all lenders could or can provide loans for people living on reservations or federal trust lands.
A Life-Changing Summer at Beacon Lodge Camp
Cara Paolicelli, right, worked with counselors from across the globe, who volunteered their time to help those with special needs. My name is Cara Paolicelli and I am a rising senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. I am grateful that I’ve been able to continue my education in recreational therapy for the disabled thanks to my family, and the American Indian College Fund.