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Congress established federal operating support for Native institutions in 1978 but appropriations have consistently fallen short of what the law authorized. Photo from Adobe Stock.
Tribal college leaders in North Dakota say a $70 million gift to expand higher education in Indian Country will be earth-shifting for institutions that have long operated with limited resources.
The American Indian College Fund announced a seven-year plan to strengthen tribal institutions backed by a gift from Yield Giving, the philanthropic organization of MacKenzie Scott.
Twyla Baker, president of Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College in New Town, said in her 12-year tenure as president, she has never seen a gift this size. She added it will provide benefits well beyond her campus, supporting not only individual learners, but also communities and rural economies.
“We can change lives with what we do on tribal college campuses. An investment of this nature, you can almost … not … get a return on your investment,” Baker noted.
Baker said every dollar invested in tribal colleges and universities returns $1.60 in tax revenue and public-sector savings.
The college on the Fort Berthold Reservation and is one of five institutions that make up the North Dakota Tribal System. The funding will support scholarships, professional development, administrative resources and broader institutional needs for TCUs around the country. As national conversations continue over whether higher education is worth the cost, Baker stressed the debate misses the reality for many Native communities.
She explained while tribal colleges operate with much smaller budgets, they generate significant impact and may be the only access point to postsecondary education.
“When you come from a place in the country that is one of the least resourced, what I know is that the value of higher education in Indian Country is really so key to breaking cycles of poverty,” Baker said.
North Dakota established its own Tribal College Grant program in 2013 to support its five colleges but the funds are limited.
Cheryl Crazy Bull, president and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, said the gift allows her organization to expand scholarships it awards to students attending schools in North Dakota and nationwide. She acknowledged it has been hard to keep up with demand and the Scott contribution lays the groundwork for a more sizable impact.
“We might have gone a few years ago from giving $500 a year in a scholarship to giving $1,500 a year, and now our goal is to get to $3,000 a year,” Crazy Bull said.
She added the College Fund will be able to take the next step in launching its Governance Academy, which trains school presidents and their boards on best oversight practices.
