The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) is helping to facilitate tribal colleges' role as a link between Native communities and national and global scientific resources. AIHEC's STEM initiatives are in the early stages of what is a long-term effort to respond to the rapid acceleration of emerging challenges and opportunities that…

American Indian Higher Education (AIHEC) Student Congress president Chris Sindone (Pawnee of Oklahoma) was headed down a rough road, until Haskell Indian Nations University helped turn his life around. This profile describes Sindone's path to Haskell, highlights his successes and influences, as well as his plans for the future.

The story of Deganawidah-Quetzalcoatl (D-Q) University is rooted firmly in the land and peoples of California, but also in other Native nations and nationals who have recently relocated. There are many versions of where and how D-Q began. D-Q's articles of incorporation, which were based on the "brief proposal" of June and August 1970,…

What does it mean to be a good citizen? In some ways, the answer is simple: participate in government (vote), pay your taxes, don't break the law, and contribute to the economic well-being of the United States. But there is more. The definition of being a good citizen is bound up in society's core cultural values and how those values are practiced…

There has been a steady decline in the number of Indigenous people pursuing and achieving PhD degrees in the U.S. In 2021, barely 0.3% of the 31,674 students in the United States who were conferred PhDs were American Indian or Alaska Native, as there has been lack of support for the advancement of Indigenous students to doctoral-level study. This…

This paper will discuss the ways that Native Hawaiian scholars are engaging in innovative strategies that incorporate ancestral knowledges into the academy. Ancestral knowledges are highly valued as Indigenous communities strive to pass on such wisdom and lessons from generation to generation. Ancestral knowledges are all around us no matter where…

The number and availability of service-contingent loan forgiveness and loan repayment programs have expanded considerably since the establishment of the first major federal loan forgiveness program under the National Defense Education Act of 1958. This report provides information on federally authorized service-contingent student loan forgiveness…

The lives of tribal people emerge from the stories of creation and teachings about how to be in relationships. For tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) the essence of who they are can be seen in how tribal institutions were created and in how they deliver their missions every day. Over decades of interaction with American education systems,…

Tribal colleges seek to approach education from the perspective of American Indian people and create an educational experience that promotes tribal sovereignty and self-determination. Indigenous studies--its mission, teaching strategies, curricular focus, research, and academic and community engagement--makes it possible for tribal colleges to…

This report provides a brief overview of the major provisions of the Higher Education Act (HEA), organized by title and part. Appendix A of this report provides detailed appropriations figures for HEA programs, from FY2019 through FY2023. Appendix B gives a brief overview of the General Education Provisions Act, which applies to the majority of…

This report describes the several programs devoted to financially assisting minority-serving institutions (MSIs) under the Higher Education Act (HEA). MSIs are eligible for other federal programs for which institutions of higher education (IHEs) and nonprofit organizations are eligible if they meet the program eligibility criteria. This report…

In the 1960s, the Native American "self-determination" movement crusaded for increased Native sovereignty. The first tribally controlled college, Navajo Community College (later renamed Diné College), was founded in 1968 by the Navajo Nation in rural northeast Arizona, with a mission to sustain traditional Diné culture and to provide…

As Washington prepares to welcome a new Congress in January 2023, incoming policymakers who want to improve education for every student and give parents more control over where and how their children are educated have many policy options at their disposal. New Members of Congress who want to protect taxpayers and rein in college costs also have…

Sinte Gleska University (SGU) grew from humble beginnings and a lofty vision to an institution that offers a full range of post-secondary programs for its students. The founders of SGU envisioned a higher education institution that allowed tribal students to complete their entire college education within the boundaries of their tribal nation. They…

This article describes how positioning an organization to be seen as trusted and expert on an issue requires careful relationship-building, patience, and an abundance of time. Such an effort often requires help, and so American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) and Washington Partners are working together to further AIHEC's goals.…