A I H E C

TRIBAL Colleges and Universities: Educating, Engaging, Innovating, Sustaining, Honoring

AIHEC

The nation’s Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), which are the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), stand, kneel, pray, and act with our Black brothers and sisters and all who are oppressed and have felt the dehumanizing impact of racism, invisibility and hate. We send our condolences and prayers to the families of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd and all the families whose loved ones are unnamed. We share your fight and your burden. We will not rest until together, we overcome the systemic, generational and unending brutality practiced against people of color under the authority of those who are sworn to serve and protect.

AIHEC's Statement of Solidarity

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IN MEMORIAM

“President Bordeaux’s absence will be felt deeply every time we gather, but he left us with a timeless legacy of love, commitment, and strength. That gives me comfort. Please say a prayer for President Bordeaux’s wife, Barbara, his children, grandchildren, and the students, faculty, and staff at the college he loved so profoundly, Sinte Gleska University. I pray that the Holy Ones watch over all of us.”
--Carrie Billy, President and CEO of AIHEC

Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College campus. Photo by college.

AIHEC news

Cankdeska Cikana Community College Honors Graduates Amid COVID-19

The First-Ever Tribally Affiliated Medical School in America— The Oklahoma State University (OSU) Center for Health Sciences will establish the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation, the first-ever tribally affiliated medical school in the United States. NativeBusiness

Tribally Controlled Community Colleges Assistance Act— The Tribally Controlled Community Colleges Assistance Act of 1978, signed by President Carter in October 1978, was later retitled the Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities Assistance Act of 1978. Read the TCJ article describing events leading to the passage of this act. Tribal College Journal

Tribal Colleges Celebrate Land-Grant Anniversary— Nearly a quarter of a century ago, members of Congress crafted legislation that allowed us to reach an important milestone in our nation’s effort to achieve equity in research, education, and extension. USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Help Us Advocate for Tribal College and University Students— Take action about issues facing Native education.

Tribal College Journal, a quarterly publication of AIHEC— Become a subscriber to receive a quarterly print issue and gain online access to all of TCJ's articles published since 1989. SUBSCRIBE
TCJ Job Announcements and Internship Opportunities

Blackfeet Community College Students at Summer Encampment Glacier National Park

Blackfeet Community College students during Summer Encampment at Glacier National Park. Photo by Laurel Vielle.

member meetings

College of Menominee Nation 2016 Grads. Photo by college.

TCU spotlight

IAIA student Hailey Suina Institute of American Indian Arts—IAIA Student Hailey Suina (Cochiti Pueblo) wins $15,000 award to study in New Zealand. Santa Fe New Mexican

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College—FDLTCC wins marketing and communication award. TCJ Article

Blackfeet Community College—Building Tribal Teacher Capacity for BCC's Community. "Education truly makes a difference in our society as Blackfeet people and society as a whole. Our unique worldview is valid and important. This couldn’t be more evident than in the lives of local teacher candidates at Blackfeet Community College." PR Oct 3, 2018

Diné College—Congratulation on Diné's 50th Anniversary! Indian Country Today

Navajo Technical University—NTU is ranked 3rd on the list of best colleges in New Mexico. Recognized as a leader in science and technology, NTU also provides a center for digital technologist with hands-on experiences, a variety of student activities, personalized education, and an array of national accreditations including the following programs: culinary and baking, veterinary technician, and industrial & electrical engineering. bestcolleges.com

MORE TCU News

Diné College Navajo Culture Class. Photo by Edward McCombs.

for TCU students

TCU Students & Alums: We need you! ACT NOW!
Save Student Aid—Contact Congress NOW to SAVE STUDENT AID: President Trump proposes to cut federal student aid by $150 billion over 10 years—limiting maximum Pell; eliminating SEOG, and making deep cuts to TRIO, GEAR UP, and federal Work Study. These cuts will harm AI/AN students and their families. Share your story with Congress, and tell your friends & family to do the same.
Resources: Association Partner Packet

TCU Student Opportunities
AIHEC Student Congress

Who We Are

In 1973, the first six American Indian tribally controlled colleges established AIHEC to provide a support network as they worked to influence federal policies on American Indian higher education. Today, AIHEC has grown to 38 TCUs in the United States.

12th Annual World Indigenous Games in Brazil.

Each tribal college was created and chartered by its own tribal government or the federal government for a specific purpose: to provide higher education opportunities to American Indians through programs that are locally and culturally based, holistic, and supportive.

President's Message
Carrie Billy, President & CEO

AIHEC Photo Gallery

What We Do

Our primary function is advocacy—telling the stories of the Tribal College Movement. Over the past four decades, AIHEC has worked to help ensure that the principle of tribal sovereignty is recognized and respected and that TCUs are equitably included in this nation's higher education system.

MN TCU reps meet with Rep Betty McCollum

MN TCU presidents and students meet with Rep. Betty McCollum during the AIHEC Capitol Hill visits. Photo by LLTC.

Who We Serve

TCUs are chartered by their respective tribal governments, including the ten tribes within the largest reservations in the United States. They operate more than 75 campuses in 16 states—virtually covering Indian Country—and serve students from well more than 230 federally recognized Indian tribes.

TCU Presidents Spoonhunter and Littlebear

TCU Presidents Marlin Spoonhunter (WRTC) and Richard Littlebear (CDKC).