I recently spoke with Sandra Boham, chief operating officer of the Native Forward Scholars Fund. This organization provides scholarships and support for American Indian and Alaska Natives students to attend college. While there are tribal scholarships at some schools specifically for this population, most students have to turn to multiple sources to afford college and all that comes with it. Even so, finances can be a struggle: 72% of students reported running out of money at least once in the last six months, according to the National Study on College Affordability for Indigenous Students released in 2022.

And as the federal government reins in funding and cracks down on efforts related to diversity, equity and inclusion, some are worried about the trickle down effect for Native students. Staff cuts and funding pauses are raising serious concerns for Tribal Institutions, Inside Higher Ed reported this week.

“Tribal colleges and American Indian scholarship organizations — we’re all funded significantly less than any other population in the country,” Boham told me. “And it's even a bigger issue when you think about the fact that many of the universities within the states are land grant institutions, and that land came from somewhere.”

While Native Forward’s funding is not currently impacted by federal actions — last fiscal year, the organization provided roughly $11 million in scholarships and academic support services for more than 1,300 students — she knows the people they serve and schools they attend are. Many tribal schools receive funding and support from several federal agencies including the USDA, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Department of Education.  And across the country, universities are rolling back offerings and programs for Native students. In Utah, Weber State University has eliminated its campus center for indigenous students, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

“We’re going to repurpose all of our identity-based cultural centers,” Weber President Brad Mortensen said in the Salt Lake Tribune article. “We’re not going to have anything — a center, a space, a position — that has a title based on identity.”

Native Forward and its peer organizations are trying to educate the government and general public on something: This is about more than just identity. The federal government is legally required to support and maintain a relationship with federally recognized tribes.

In February, Native Forward and several other tribal organizations sent a letter to the Trump Administration urging leaders to “recognize and protect the status of Tribal Nations as political entities in light of recent executive and federal action.” 

Boham said she felt it was incredibly important for people to realize that these students and institutions don’t receive funding just because of diversity initiatives.

“It isn't a race-based or some other kind of classification. It comes with law and it comes with agreements,” Boham said. “If we don't stand up for ourselves, it's not like somebody else is going to.”

Support our work 💰️ 

We’re coaching 17 partner newsrooms around the country to meet this moment.

If in-depth, local coverage of higher-ed matters to you, donate to Open Campus today.

Elsewhere on Open Campus

We’ve added a new reporter to our local network: Candice Wilder is Mississippi Today’s higher education reporter and started this week. Welcome!

In Florida: Ian Hodgson details a bill working its way through the state Legislature which would upend the way college presidents are hired. This would have an immediate impact on the universities of Florida and South Florida; both institutions are in the middle of a search process for their next leader.

In Houston: There’s been a lot of great reporting about how four year institutions are impacted by Trump Administration policies. But how are community colleges navigating this moment? Miranda Dunlap explored this question with input from local officials and people keeping tabs on this at the national level.Keep in touch

We’re a nonprofit newsroom that relies on the support of readers like you. Donate today.

Interested in reaching readers who care about higher education in communities across the country? Get in touch or request our media kit.

Please share. Forward this newsletter to colleagues, family, and friends who might be interested. They can sign up for their own copy here.

Run a newsroom and want to improve your coverage of higher ed? Let’s talk.

Got a story tip or a question? Please send it along.