President of Chingdeska Ticonderoga Community College asks legislature to sustain and grow tribal college funding

Steven Smith, president of Chingdeska Ticonderoga Community College, told the committee that the tribal college system provides critical vocational and academic programs locally and asked lawmakers to maintain and increase state support for tribal higher education.

Smith described the college’s career and technical programs—CDL, early childhood education, social work partnerships and certificate pathways—and noted that tribal colleges in the state produce outsized economic returns given their size: a recent economic impact study put CCCC’s local income contribution at $12.9 million and the combined North Dakota tribal college system impact at roughly $169.5 million. He said the most recent state budget provided $1.8 million split among five tribal colleges and that CCCC’s share included $220,000 for non‑beneficiary students, equivalent to about 25.8 full‑time equivalents.

Smith also highlighted capacity constraints and staffing challenges, noting programs like CDL are full but that the college lacks capacity to expand without additional funding or faculty. "We are open enrollment and many students come with educational gaps," he told the committee, arguing that modest state increases in support yield strong workforce benefits in rural areas.

Committee members thanked Smith and asked about partnering on programs for incarcerated individuals, and Smith said his experience in corrections education made him open to pilot projects linking tribal colleges with correctional rehabilitation programs. The committee asked for more detailed budget and program proposals as it considers future funding decisions.