NE North Dakota News

Tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) play a significant role in advancing higher education for Native American students, according to Cynthia Lindquist, director of Tribal Initiatives & Collaborations at the University of North Dakota. In an article published by The Conversation, Lindquist discussed the unique position of TCUs in supporting Native students and their communities.

Lindquist, who is a member of Spirit Lake Nation and former president of Cankdeska Cikana Community College in North Dakota, noted that most Native American high school students do not attend or graduate from college. She said that TCUs can change this trajectory: “Tribal colleges and universities, or TCUs, are public institutions that are founded and run by a Native American tribe and focus on serving Native American students and communities.”

There are about 3.9 million Native Americans in the United States. Lindquist explained that TCUs have long been recognized by Native communities as institutions that help students succeed academically and obtain higher education degrees. Despite this, many Americans are not aware of their existence or how they operate.

TCUs enroll approximately 30,000 students each year, with some non-Native students included. Their median annual tuition is $3,572, making them more affordable than most other public universities. There are 35 accredited TCUs across 13 states, including Montana, Arizona, Oklahoma, North Dakota, and South Dakota. All are nonprofit institutions.

The mission of TCUs centers on teaching Indigenous history, culture, and languages. They offer associate degrees and certifications, with some also providing bachelor’s and master’s programs. Navajo Technical University in New Mexico, which has the largest enrollment among TCUs, began offering a doctorate program in Diné Studies in 2024. This program focuses on the language, culture, and history of the Diné (Navajo) people.

Lindquist pointed out that affordability is a key factor for TCUs, as most are located on rural reservations with high unemployment and poverty rates. “TCUs keep their tuition relatively low in part because a majority of their funding comes from the federal government. They also receive funding from philanthropic organizations.” Most students live off-campus, and many institutions offer both in-person and online courses.

The first tribal college was established by the Navajo Nation in 1968 in Tsaile, Arizona. Factors such as cost, inadequate high school preparation, and fears of cultural assimilation have historically prevented many Native American students from attending college. Lindquist said it is important to understand Native Americans’ unique relationship with the federal government, which is shaped by treaties and policies regarding education.

In 1978, Congress passed the Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act, recognizing tribal colleges as higher education institutions and establishing federal funding for these schools. Since then, the percentage of Native college graduates has increased by 125% from 1990 to 2020. While 4.5% of Native students living on reservations had a college degree in 1990, this rose to 10.3% by 2020. However, Native graduation rates remain lower than those of the general population; in 2020, 34.3% of all Americans had at least a college degree.

Despite receiving state and federal funding, TCUs often face financial challenges. Lindquist cited a 2024 ProPublica investigation which found that tribal colleges receive $250 million less annually than what was promised by Congress in the late 1970s.

In spring 2025, a proposal was announced by the Trump administration to reduce the Bureau of Indian Education’s annual budget from $183 million to $22 million. Later, the Department of Education announced a one-time $495 million investment in historically Black colleges and universities and TCUs. TCU leaders are still assessing what this funding will mean for their institutions.

Lindquist emphasized the broader impact of TCUs: “TCUs teach entrepreneurship and business development and serve as pilot sites in launching businesses, for example.” According to a September 2025 report by the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, for every federal dollar invested in tribal colleges, $1.60 is returned in tax revenue through increased tax payments by alumni and their employers.