Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Tribal college leaders urge protections for TCUs and back Haskell Indian Nations University improvement plan
Loading...
Summary
Tribal college leaders told a Senate committee that Title III core grants and Pell aid are essential to TCUs and endorsed language to give Haskell Indian Nations University a federal charter while urging protections for continuing funding and accreditation.
Tribal college leaders told the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs that tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) rely on Department of Education funding, Title III core grants and Pell grants for institutional stability and the delivery of community programs.
Anawake Rose, president and CEO of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, told senators that AIHEC’s 34 accredited TCUs operate more than 90 campuses and sites, serve students from over 250 federally recognized tribes and enroll about 25,000 students this year. She said Title III (Strengthening Institutions) grants are “one of the most important resources for tribal colleges” because they provide flexible core support for faculty development, distance-learning capacity and facility rehabilitation.
Rose and other witnesses expressed concern about recent staffing cuts and proposed changes that briefly disrupted services at Haskell Indian Nations University and other institutions. Rose said the immediate impact at Haskell and at the College of Menominee (CIPI) included staff reductions on the order of roughly 25% in some units; she and other witnesses described mobilization across the TCU community to maintain instruction and services while staff returned.
Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) said he plans to introduce the Haskell Indian Nations University Improvement Act to grant Haskell a federal charter and transfer governance to a Board of Regents composed of tribal nominees. AIHEC and others told Moran they support the concept and offered to help shape the legislation. Witnesses said separating Haskell’s governance from direct BIE control could increase tribal self-determination and provide stability for the institution, but they also urged that any transition preserve ongoing federal funding for programs and maintain consultation and accreditation safeguards.
Speakers raised concerns about Pell grant reliance — “75% of our students rely on Pell grants,” Rose said — and cautioned that routing TCU-specific funds through states would threaten accreditation and lead to staffing and program cuts. Senators and witnesses asked the Department of Interior and Education to coordinate and to maintain institutional knowledge during any statutory or administrative changes.
