Tribal Colleges and Universities New York NY

Tribal Colleges and Universities

""Tribal Colleges and Universities help preserve irreplaceable languages and cultural traditions. At the same time, of course, they offer a high quality college education to thousands of students, and provide much-needed job training and other means of economic development in Indian country. All Americans deserve an excellent education, including those who attend Tribal Colleges and Universities.""

~President George W. Bush

With these words, President Bush extended the Executive Order on Tribal Colleges and Universities, a federal mandate requiring all federal agencies to support Tribal Colleges through strategic planning and collaboration. First created in 1996 by President Clinton, the order bolsters reservation development, higher education for Native Americans, and helps ensure that many would-be students in poor and isolated areas have access to quality education. The order is especially important in light of the fact that Tribal Colleges get almost no financial support from local or state taxes, or from Tribal casino revenues. They rely primarily on federal funding as well as private donations, although control of the schools themselves is through the tribes.

An unique demographic
Although Tribal Colleges are located primarily on reservations, enrollment isn't limited to Native Americans. Their locations in areas far from urban development and other institutions of higher education place them in a unique role.

Author: Amy Ambler

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