Tribal colleges and BIE schools report staff terminations, call for immediate reversals and more funding
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Summary
Officials from the American Indian Higher Education Consortium and the Bureau of Indian Education told the Appropriations subcommittee that mid‑year staff terminations at Haskell Indian Nations University and SIPI have caused major disruption for students and campus operations.
Anawake (Anawake) Rose, president and CEO of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), and other witnesses told the Appropriations subcommittee that recent mid‑year personnel actions at two federal tribal colleges — Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU) and the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) — have been disruptive to students and campus operations.
"27% of Haskell's workforce and 24% of SIPI's workforce have been terminated," Rose told the committee, citing staff reductions she said followed an administrative hiring freeze. She said the cuts included instructors, support staff and key leadership positions and created "chaos on our campuses," with students uncertain about course continuity and graduation impacts.
AIHEC requested $176,000,000 for postsecondary tribal college funding in FY2026, including: funding to meet the congressionally authorized per‑student level of $11,571 for tribal college students; $140,000 for technical assistance; and $35,000,000 for TCU infrastructure needs. The consortium also urged the committee to use its oversight to seek immediate exemptions or restoration of staff at Haskell and SIPI so the institutions can continue spring‑semester instruction and student services.
Jason Droppick of the National Indian Education Association emphasized long‑standing BIE funding shortfalls and urged continued investment for school operations, maintenance and dormitory upgrades. "BIE schools face aging infrastructure, limited resources, and staffing shortages," he told the panel, and cited a roughly $7,000 weighted student unit for BIE schools versus much higher per‑pupil spending in other federal school systems.
Why it matters: BIE and tribal colleges provide culturally specific education, often serve students in remote areas and, in some cases, provide dormitories and services for students who would otherwise be homeless. Abrupt staff losses at tribal colleges in the middle of a semester can disrupt instruction, student housing, food services and athletic programs.
What lawmakers can do next: AIHEC and BIE advocates asked the subcommittee to press agency leadership to (1) exempt Haskell and SIPI from hiring pauses and restore terminated staff; (2) increase yearly funding to reach the congressionally authorized per‑student rate; and (3) provide dedicated appropriations for TCU infrastructure and student support services.