The American Indian College Fund turns 25
The American Indian College Fund celebrates its 25th anniversary with a fundraiser in New York on Monday. The nonprofit was created to assist the country’s more than 30 tribal colleges and universities. These are federally-funded schools located on or near native lands.
Only about 10 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to about 30 percent of all adults, according to the group.
The big reason is poverty, says president Cheryl Crazy Bull. Tribal colleges cost on average $15,000 a year to attend, she says. The maximum federal Pell grant for low-income students covers only $5,730.
“It’s a very affordable education,” Crazy Bull says. But for students living on reservations with a 60 to 80 percent unemployment rate, “it’s a huge gap.”
The College Fund tries to bridge that gap with scholarships. It’s aiming to raise an extra $25 million this year.
The group recently got a boost from Comcast and NBC Universal: $5 million in ad time for a new public service campaign.
Here are a few numbers from the American Indian College Fund:
The unemployment rate on some American Indian reservations. In total, almost 29 percent of American Indians on reservations live below the federal poverty level.
The per capita income of American Indians and Alaska Natives, according the American Community Survey in 2013. Meanwhile, the average cost of attendance at a tribal college or university is $14,566.
That’s approximate percentage of American Indian and Alaska Natives who have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to about 30 percent of all adults. Natives have the lowest educational attainment rates of all ethnic and racial groups in America.
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