Native Ways Federation - American Indian College Fund

American Indian College Fund

8333 Greenwood Blvd.

Denver, CO 80233

(303) 426-8900

www.collegefund.org

MISSION

To transform Indian higher education by funding and creating awareness of the unique, community-based accredited Tribal Colleges and Universities, offering students access to knowledge, skills, and cultural values which enhance their communities and the country as a whole.

DID YOU KNOW?

· In 1989, 2,100 students attended tribal colleges. Today these institutions serve approximately 31,000 including 16,974 full time students.

· Thanks to our supporters’ incredible generosity, the American Indian College Fund has provided more than $47 million in scholarships to American Indian Students over the past 20 years, and more than $50 million in non-scholarship support to our nation’s tribal colleges and universities.

· In 1989, approximately 100 scholarships were awarded. Today, that number is approximately 5,650! 91% of American Indian College Fund scholarship recipients are "non-traditional" students—they have dependents, are older than 24, work full-time—or a combination of these characteristics.

· 56% of tribal college graduates go on to a four-year institution, a far greater number than the transfer rate of community colleges in general.

· Most tribal colleges operate on Indian reservations, providing access to higher education for those seeking an educational experience where cultural knowledge is as valued as rigorous academic standards.

· Tribal colleges are fully accredited institutions with the same academic standards as all other colleges and universities.

· Tribal colleges are beacons of hope for social and economic change in the communities they serve.

· These institutions are vital to Native America and beneficial to the country as a whole because they help Native communities in the fight against poverty. At the same time, tribal colleges preserve language and culture by integrating these important elements into their curriculum.

Thousands of American Indian students who may not otherwise have had access to higher education graduate from tribal colleges every year.

The American Indian College Fund's capital campaign supported construction on the tribal college campuses, included this cultural center at Salish Kootenai College in Montana.

WHY YOUR SUPPORT IS NEEDED

51% of American Indians on the reservation live below the poverty line.
95% of tribal students demonstrate financial need.
The number one reason preventing students from pursuing a higher education is a lack of finances.
Education is the key to breaking the chains of poverty.
Tribal colleges receive little or no local or state tax support, so corporate, foundation and private donations are crucial. As the success of the tribal colleges grows, so does the need for private-sector support.