American Indian College Fund

Last updated
American Indian College Fund
Logo for American Indian College Fund.png
Founded1989
Type Non-governmental organization
FocusEducation
Headquarters Denver
Region served
USA
Website collegefund.org

The American Indian College Fund is a nonprofit organization that helps Native American students, providing them with support through scholarships and funding toward higher education. The fund provides an average of 6,000 annual scholarships for American Indian students and also provides support for other needs at the tribal colleges ranging from capital support to cultural preservation activities. Charity Navigator gave the College Fund an overall rating of 88.36 out of 100. [1]

Contents

Information

The American Indian College Fund (the College Fund) was established in 1989 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization to provide American Indians with student scholarships. The College Fund also helps support tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) located on or near Indian reservations through capital grants and programs such as cultural and language preservation, early childhood education programs on-campus for children of students and community members; fellowships for faculty development; and college readiness, internship, career readiness, and leadership development programs.

Today American Indians account for only 1% of all college students, and 13.6% of American Indians over age 25 years old have a bachelor's degree compared to 29.3% of the overall population. [2] Poverty is part of the reason so few American Indians and Alaska Natives go to college, with current data showing that 28.3% of the American Indian and Alaska Natives living below the poverty level compared to 15.5% of the overall population. [3]

History and mission

During the Civil Rights Acts and Native American self-determination movements in the 1960s and 1970s, tribal leaders decided there was a need for change in what they described as failed federal education policy to improve education for American Indian students to serve their communities, leading to the creation of tribal colleges and universities (TCUs).

In 1968, the Navajo Nation created the first-of-its-kind educational institution—a college controlled by the tribe, located on the Navajo reservation, to provide a quality higher education to the surrounding community, known as a tribal college and university. TCU presidents established the College Fund in 1989 in New York City to raise private-sector funds for scholarships for American Indian students and to raise money for financial support for the tribal colleges, while broadening awareness of those institutions and the College Fund itself.

In 2015-16, the College Fund distributed more than $8.1 million in direct support to students, including scholarships, internships, leadership training, career readiness, and other programmatic support. Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of academic success, financial need, community involvement, and commitment to their tribal communities. To date the College Fund has provided more than 100,000 scholarships since its inception and an average of 6,000 scholarships per year to American Indian students. The College Fund also helps support accredited tribal colleges with research and leadership grants, cultural preservation programs, early childhood education programs, and faculty development fellowships as well as with institutional funding.

The American Indian College Fund has received top ratings from independent charity evaluators. It earned the Best in America Seal of Excellence from America's Best Charities. The College Fund meets the Standards for Charity Accountability of the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance. [4] The College Fund received a B+ rating from CharityWatch. [5] The College Fund received a gold rating from GuideStar in 2017, [6] a four-star rating from Charity Navigator for fiscal year 2016, and a three star rating for 2018. [1]

Originally headquartered in New York City, the College Fund relocated to Denver, Colorado, in 2002.

Tribal colleges

According to supporters, tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) are vital to Native Americans and are beneficial to the country as a whole. They help Native communities and students gain a valuable education and also preserve Native language, culture and traditions through language curriculum and American Indian studies.

Since the first tribal college was established in 1968, the number of tribal colleges and universities has grown to 37 in the United States in 2016.

According to the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, TCUs are chartered by their respective tribal governments, including the ten tribes within the largest reservations in the United States. They operate more than 75 campuses in 16 states—virtually covering Indian Country—and serve students from well more than 230 federally recognized Indian tribes. TCUs vary in enrollment (size), focus (liberal arts, sciences, workforce development/training), location (woodlands, desert, frozen tundra, rural reservation, urban), and student population (predominantly American Indian). Despite their diversity, tribal identity is the core of every TCU, and they all share the mission of tribal self-determination and service to their respective communities.

TCUs engage in partnerships with organizations including U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and universities nationwide to support research and education programs that focus on issues such as climate change, sustainable agriculture, water quality, wildlife population dynamics, and diabetes prevention. Many support distance learning involving state-of-the-art learning environments.

See also

Related Research Articles

The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) was established in 1972, in order to represent the interests of the newly developed tribal colleges, which are controlled and operated by American Indian nations. The four original founders were Gerald One Feather of the Oglala Sioux Community College, David Reisling of D-Q University, Pat Locke of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) and Helen Schierbeck of the United States Office of Education (USOE). They organized the initial meeting and brought together all who wanted to form such a national organization. The six founding colleges are D-Q University, Standing Rock Community College, Navajo Community College, Turtle Mountain Community College, Sinte Gleska College, and Oglala Sioux Community College. One of the most significant achievements of AIHEC was to work with the United States Congress to authorize in 1994 land-grant status to 29 tribal colleges, achieved in October 1994 under the Elementary and Secondary Education Reauthorization Act.

Northwest Indian College is a public tribal land-grant community college in Bellingham, Washington. It was established by the Lummi Nation and is the only accredited tribal college or university serving reservation communities of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

Indian Health Service Branch of the United States Health Department regarding the health of Native Americans

The Indian Health Service (IHS) is an operating division (OPDIV) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). IHS is responsible for providing direct medical and public health services to members of federally-recognized Native American Tribes and Alaska Native people. IHS is the principal federal health care provider and health advocate for Indian people.

Salish Kootenai College

Salish Kootenai College (SKC) is a Private tribal land-grant community college in Pablo, Montana. It serves the Bitterroot Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d'Oreilles tribes. SKC's main campus is on the Flathead Reservation. There are three satellite locations in eastern Washington state, in Colville, Spokane, and Wellpinit. Approximately 1,207 students attend SKC. Although enrollment is not limited to Native American students, SKC's primary function is to serve the needs of Native American people.

Bay Mills Community College

Bay Mills Community College (BMCC) is a public tribal land-grant community college in Brimley, Michigan. It is chartered by the federally recognized Bay Mills Indian Community of Michigan with a total enrollment of approximately 500 on-campus and online students. The students come primarily from Michigan's eastern Upper Peninsula and are 60% Native American. BMCC is a member of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), a community of tribally and federally chartered institutions working to strengthen tribal nations, and a land-grant college.

Higher Education Act of 1965 U.S. law establishing a student loan program

The Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) was legislation signed into United States law on November 8, 1965, as part of President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society domestic agenda. Johnson chose Texas State University, his alma mater, as the signing site. The law was intended "to strengthen the educational resources of our colleges and universities and to provide financial assistance for students in postsecondary and higher education". It increased federal money given to universities, created scholarships, gave low-interest loans for students, and established a National Teachers Corps. The "financial assistance for students" is covered in Title IV of the HEA.

Deganawidah-Quetzalcoatl University or D–Q University was a two-year college located on Road 31 in Yolo County, 6.7 miles (10.8 km) west of State Route 113 in California. Founded in 1971, it was among the first six tribal colleges and universities (TCU) in the United States, and the first established in California. It was not affiliated with a single federally recognized tribe or reservation, as are numerous other tribal colleges.

Scholarship America

Scholarship America is a Minnesota-based American philanthropic organization that assists communities, corporations, foundations and individuals with fundraising, managing and awarding scholarships to students. The organization designs, administers and manages corporate and foundation scholarship programs; it also operates Dollars for Scholars, a coalition of local scholarship organizations in communities across the United States.

Tribal colleges and universities

In the United States, tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) are a category of higher education, minority-serving institutions defined in the Higher Education Act of 1965. Each qualifies for funding under the Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities Assistance Act of 1978 or the Navajo Community College Act ; or is cited in section 532 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994.

Phelps Stokes Fund Nonprofit fund

The Phelps Stokes Fund (PS) is a nonprofit fund established in 1911 by the will of New York philanthropist Caroline Phelps Stokes, a member of the Phelps Stokes family. Created as the Trustees of Phelps Stokes Fund, Phelps Stokes connects emerging leaders and organizations in Africa and the Americas with resources to help them advance social and economic development.

The Big Shoulders Fund is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization designed to offer financial support to low-income Catholic schools throughout the city. Founded in 1986 by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin and a group of Chicago businessmen, the organization has a Four Star Rating from Charity Navigator and in 2008 became a member of the FADICA.

Jan Crull Jr. is a Native American rights advocate, attorney, and filmmaker.

Native American reservation politics political issue of Native Americans

Native American politics remain divided over different issues such as assimilation, education, healthcare, and economic factors that affect reservations. As a nation living within the United States of America, the Native American people face conflicting opinions within their tribes, essentially those living on federally approved reservations. Interactions with the federal government and the overall American culture surrounding them influence day-to-day tribal life. Native American culture as a whole rests between the divide of the traditionalists and those who wish to trade the old ways for improved conditions.

Aaniiih Nakoda College

Aaniiih Nakoda College is a public tribal land-grant community college on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Harlem, Montana. The institution incorporates native culture into the curriculum and promotes cultural identity; however, the school is open to both tribal and non-tribal members. Aaniiih Nakoda College is a member of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), which is a community of tribally and federally chartered institutions working to strengthen tribal nations and make a lasting difference in the lives of American Indians and Alaska Natives. ANC was created in response to the higher education needs of American Indians. ANC generally serves geographically isolated populations that have no other means accessing education beyond the high school level.

Native American Languages Act of 1990 civil rights law of the United States

The Native American Languages Act of 1990 is the short cited title for executive order PUBLIC LAW 101-477 enacted by the United States Congress on October 30, 1990. Public Law 101-477 of 1990 gave historical importance as repudiating past policies of eradicating Indian Languages by declaring as policy that Native Americans were entitled to use their own languages. The fundamental basis of the policy's declaration was that the United States "declares to preserve, protect and promote the rights and freedom of Native Americans to use practice and develop Native American Languages". In addition, to "fully recognize the right of Indian Tribes and other Native American governing bodies, States, territories, and possessions of the United States to take action on, and give official status to their Native American languages for the purpose of conducting their own business".

India Development and Relief Fund (IDRF) is a Maryland, USA-based 501(c) (3) tax exempt, non-profit organization that supports impoverished people in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. IDRF's main goal has always been- to put power and not charity in the hands of those in need. It has always striven to break the cycle of poverty by empowering the marginalized people with skills, services and infrastructure in sustainable development. IDRF's programs span all over India from Jammu and Kashmir to Tamil Nadu, and from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh, Nepal and more recently Sri Lanka. Since its inception in 1988, IDRF has disbursed $34 million in grants to various developmental programs pertaining to areas like: education, health, women's empowerment, eco-friendly development, good governance, and disaster relief/rehabilitation.

David Risling Jr. was a Native American (Hoopa) educator and rights activist who was often referred to as "The Father of Indian Education".

Native American policy of the Barack Obama administration

The United States public policy agenda on issues affecting Native Americans under the Obama administration includes the signing of the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010, which allowed tribal courts to extend and expand sentences handed down to them in criminal cases, strengthening tribal autonomy. Obama also supported and enforced the Executive Order 13175, which requires the federal government to consult with tribal governments when deliberating over policies and programs that would affect tribal communities. Under the Obama Administration was also the launching of Michelle Obama's program Let's Move In Indian Country, which aims to improve opportunities for physical activity, to increase access to healthy food in tribal communities, and to create collaborations between private and public sectors to build programs that will end childhood obesity in Native communities. Obama also supported tribal communities through certain provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which allocated $510 million for rehabilitation of Native American housing, and the settlement of the Keepseagle case, a lawsuit against the United States Department of Agriculture for discriminating against tribal communities by not allowing them equal access to the USDA Farm Loan Program. Most recently, Obama signed Executive Order 13592, which seeks to improve educational opportunities for American Indian and Alaska Natives. Obama has been praised by many tribal leaders, including those who claim he has done more for Native Americans than all of his predecessors combined.

First Nations Development Institute is a nonprofit organization that assists Native American tribes, their communities, and Native nonprofits in economic development by providing technical assistance, training, policy, and the awarding of grants. Public education is another area of focus. Charity Navigator gave First Nations Development Institute a four-star rating.

Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College (SCTC) is a public tribal land-grant community college in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The college was established in 1998 by the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Committee.

References

  1. 1 2 "Rating for American Indian College Fund". Charity Navigator.
  2. Bureau, U.S. Census. "American FactFinder - Results". factfinder.census.gov. Archived from the original on 2020-02-14. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  3. American Community Survey 2014 Archived 2020-02-14 at archive.today , 1-Year Estimates, retrieved Jan. 7, 2016.
  4. "Charity Reviews". give_org. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  5. "American Indian College Fund". www.charitywatch.org. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  6. www2.guidestar.org https://www2.guidestar.org/profile/52-1573446 . Retrieved 2020-12-22.Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. In 1981, the tribal college public law which was enacted in 1978 with some stiff opposition needed reauthorization and the responsibility for furthering it was vested with the U.S. House Subcommittee on Post-secondary Education then chaired by Paul Simon. A professional staffer with the subcommittee, Jan Crull, Jr. was given the task of shaping the reauthorization. For varied reasons, Crull was the first to propose the need for the establishment of an American Indian College Fund. This he did at a meeting with the tribal college presidents and many other tribal officials assembled at the then American Indian Bank in Washington, D.C. on July 21, 1981, two days before the Congressional hearing on the oversight of the Tribally Controlled Community Assistance Act. Paul Simon, chair. Subcommittee on Post-secondary Education of the Committee On Education and Labor, U.S. House of Representatives. Hearing: Oversight Hearing On Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act July 23, 1981. pp.: 161 Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1982