Think Indian Community Awareness Grants

Think Indian Community Awareness Grants of $2,500 are available to student groups and accredited higher education institutions. These grants encourage institutions who serve Native students to promote the positive message of “Think Indian,” the vibrancy of Native students, and the highlight the support provided by Native scholarship programs to their campus and community.

“Think Indian” was originally created as a public awareness campaign to promote the American Indian College Fund, and the many ways that its scholars contribute to, and change our world. Its message connected so deeply with Native students and institutions that it was revived in 2018, specifically to promote the College Fund’s scholarship, and other student programs.

The American Indian College Fund has created a grant program to highlight its “Think Indian” campaign, and scholarships program for Native students. The grants are intended to encourage institutions who serve Native students to promote the positive message of “Think Indian,” the vibrancy of Native students, and the highlight the support provided by Native scholarship programs to their campus and community. Projects must engage or include Native students.

Student groups and institutions can use grant funds for any activity or project that will promote the “Think Indian” campaign and scholarships in their community. Programs can include, but are not limited to:

  • Informational, social or artistic events
  • Art displays, installations or murals
  • Music performances or video screenings
  • Local awareness, publicity or marketing campaigns
  • Online/social media campaigns
  • Participation in existing campus or community events
  • Themed volunteer or service events (including Native vote or census projects)

CLICK HERE to view summaries of the 2019 awarded projects.

 

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From Belief to Impact: How Michael’s Journey Inspires Generations

It’s easy to forget that something as abstract as belief can create a tangible impact – one that ripples through generations. Michael (direct descendent of Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians), longtime American Indian College Fund (College Fund) scholar and current faculty fellow, is living proof that when someone believes in you, it can change everything.

Like many students, Michael followed the “traditional” education journey by enrolling in a mainstream institution right after graduating high school. But he wasn’t ready and lacked the support system and resources to stay on that path. He dropped out, entered the workforce, and started a family. At 28, Michael returned to school – this time at his local tribal college, Turtle Mountain College (TMC). There he found faculty and staff that helped him succeed and more importantly, reminded him that he was capable of more than he ever imagined.

Today, Michael is multiple degrees into his academic career and on the verge of becoming the first Native American to earn a doctorate in business administration at the University of Mary. His achievement has opened doors for others: more Native students are enrolled in each following cohort of the program. “It’s a big deal to know I’m the first one and there are people following along behind me,” Michael shares.

His heart has always been in the classroom, and since 2021 Michael has been a faculty member at TMC, teaching information technology, cybersecurity, and business. The belief his mentors had in him is the reason he’s come this far—and now he’s passing that same encouragement to his students, including his daughters. Michael’s two eldest children, Ailiyah and Gracelyn (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians), are both enrolled in TMC majoring in cybersecurity and biology, respectively.

Through Michael’s example, Ailiyah and Gracelyn learned firsthand that dedication and a strong support system can help you achieve anything. Inspired by her language teachers, Gracelyn practices Ojibwe outside the classroom and even texts her dad in Ojibwe to help him learn. Like her father, Ailiyah dreams of earning a doctorate and becoming a role model for other Native women in male-dominated cybersecurity. Seeing his daughters succeed at TMC is all Michael ever wanted, saying, “It starts at Turtle Mountain and moves out from there.”

Michael is one of the College Fund’s faculty fellows—a program designed to strengthen academic excellence at Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) by supporting faculty in earning graduate degrees. His dissertation examines TCU graduates who transition to mainstream universities and the differences in support they experience. Having attended both, Michael knows that success begins with strong support systems—and believes mainstream universities that provide these resources will see higher retention and graduation rates.

The College Fund has been part of Michael’s journey every step of the way. He credits this support and his mentors’ encouragement for helping him earn his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Michael has gone farther than he ever dreamed—and now his work is paving the way for the next generation of Native students to go even further. He’s showing that belief isn’t abstract; it’s the spark that ignites growth and transforms lives, families, and communities. “We need more Indigenous graduate students and doctors,” says Michael. “We are so talented individually, we need to bind together and show the world what we can accomplish once we work together.”

Watch the video below to listen to Michael share more about his journey and his goals for the future of Turtle Mountain College and all Native students:

American Indian College Fund Scholar Lives a Life of Gratitude

American Indian College Fund Scholar Lives a Life of Gratitude

Chenoa Webster (Oneida), an American Indian College Fund student ambassador and scholar.

Chenoa Webster (Oneida), an American Indian College Fund student ambassador and scholar.

Denver, Colo., November 20, 2025— According to Chenoa Webster (Oneida), an American Indian College Fund student ambassador, in her culture Thanksgiving isn’t just a day—it’s a way.

Gratitude is woven into Indigenous life and is expressed through work and relationships with family, community, land, all living creatures, the Creator, and even oneself.

Webster is a student ambassador and Native scholar who will graduate in the spring of 2026 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary and middle school education from the College of Menominee Nation, a tribal college in Wisconsin. She shares the Haudenshaunee (Iroquois Nation) lifeway Tsi>niyukwaliho=t^ (the Good Mind) includes elements of gratitude in every part of an individual’s life. They comprise paths to cultivate and be thankful for the heartfelt encouragement of the best in each of us; compassion, caring, identity, and joy of being; the openness of the good spirit and mind; the strength of belief and vision as a people; the use of good words about ourselves, our Nation, and our future; the concept that all of us are family; and recognizing the fire, our spirit within each one of us.

Chenoa Webster (Oneida) lives by the Haudenshaunee principles of the Good Mind. Gratitude is incorporated into daily life.

Chenoa Webster (Oneida) lives by the Haudenshaunee principles of the Good Mind. Gratitude is incorporated into daily life.

Webster is a rising leader who uses the education and opportunities she has enjoyed along the way to give back to her community. She has traveled to Indigenous communities in Sápmi (the cultural region traditionally inhabited by the Sámi people in the northern areas of Fennoscandia, stretching across Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia) and Utqiagvik, Alaska to learn more about other Indigenous communities. She has held various student leadership positions at the College of Menominee Nation and was chosen Student of the Year in 2023-24. She also placed second in the American Indian Higher Education Consortium’s USAID International Development Challenge that same year. She helps her home community and the American Indian College Fund to raise awareness and understanding of American Indians and Alaska Natives and cultures.

Webster represents the College Fund in media interviews, at cultural events, in her community, and on campus. She also attends the College Fund’s Board of Trustees meetings as a student ambassador representative. She is engaged in public speaking, interviews, writing, and posting on social media to speak on issues impacting Native communities.

Driven by the gratitude for the opportunities her tribal college education has provided, Webster shares, “I needed to go to school to be that role model, not only for my daughters, but for the other children in the community that look up to me.” Webster’s educational journey demonstrates that gratitude is a way of life and a feeling that has the power to strengthen communities and uplift future generations.

To arrange an interview with Chenoa Webster or the American Indian College Fund representative, please contact Dina Horwedel at dhorwedel@collegefund.org or 303-430-5350 (direct line).

About the American Indian College Fund — The American Indian College Fund is the nation’s largest charity and has supported 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 located on or near Indian reservations, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed. 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. 

Transfer of Native Education Programs from U.S. Department of Education Concerning

Cheryl Crazy Bull - headshot

Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund

The Trump administration announced it will transfer more than a dozen Department of Education programs to the Departments of Interior and Labor as part of its plan to dismantle or wind down the Department of Education. The particular programs of concern to the Native community support elementary, high school, and post-secondary students and institutions. The administration also intends to transfer other education programs to the Departments of Health and Human Services and State.

Native educators, tribal leaders, and our allies are concerned about the impact of this transfer on our community members’ access to resources, the quality of education delivery, and the stability of staffing and funding.

First, only Congress has the authority to dismantle the Department of Education. The strategy of using Interagency Agreements to transfer programming while retaining funds and a semblance of oversight within the Department of Education is an attempt to bypass Congressional authority. The Department of Education oversees valuable programs that specifically support American Indian and Alaska Native children. For instance, the Office of Indian Education oversees the National Advisory Council on Indian Education as required by federal law.

Second, any move regarding Native education, including tribal colleges and universities, must uphold the federal government’s trust and treaty responsibility to provide education for Native people. Concerning is the lack of preparation surrounding the move, including no consultation with tribal nations, and the lack of clarity around the broader implications of moving post-secondary oversight to the Department of Interior, in which the Bureau of Indian Education sits.

Finally, it is imperative that the federal government, with which tribes have a trust and treaty relationship, work with tribal communities and those in Native higher education. The Trump administration has said it wishes to give states more power with shaping school policies, however, states are not party to the treaties with Indian Nations. It is the federal government’s legal relationship with the Tribes alone, and that relationship cannot be outsourced.

We must ensure and monitor the stability and continuity of the tribal colleges and universities so that the Native students we serve can continue to access a quality higher education for the sustainability of our families, community, and future.