Feel Good Friday - American Indian College Fund

Today is the first day of Native American Heritage Month, also called National American Indian Heritage Month. Let’s kick it off by learning more about the American Indian College Fund.

Established in 1989 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, the American Indian College Fund (the College Fund) is “the nation's largest and highest-rated American Indian scholarship organization” with “one unwavering purpose – increasing the number of American Indians who hold college degrees.”

As they explain on their website, “currently only 14% of American Indians have a college degree - less than half the national average.” The College Fund addresses this issue by providing financial support. In 2022-2023, they awarded over $18 million in scholarships to 5,762 American Indian and Native Alaskan (AIAN) students, more than half of whom were the first in their families to attend college. The College Fund also provides these students with direct support such as professional development workshops, employment resources and coaching support. They encourage student engagement through online events, website resources and social media posts, emails and messages.

Another area of work is supporting 35 Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). Most TCUs are located on or near reservation lands and are known for their culturally-relevant curricula, and familial student care. The College Fund has given these TCUs $134 million to use for infrastructure and programs focused on computer science, environmental stewardship, indigenous education, and native arts.

The College Fund also support 1665 full time TCU faculty with graduate fellowships, professional development grants and workshops, opportunities to conduct and share research, and communities of practice that allow them to network with other fellows.

Since they began 35 years ago, the College Fund has awarded 159,652 scholarships to AIAN students totaling $166 million. Statistics show that “80% of of employed scholar graduates work in jobs that give back to their communities” making this money well spent.

If you’d like to support the American Indian College Fund in their efforts to increase the number of American Indians who hold college degrees you can do so by making a donation and amplifying their message on social media. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and share their recommendations on how to celebrate Native American Heritage Month with food, dance or watching tv!