The Lilly Endowment has announced a grant of more than $38.75 million for the American Indian College Fund in support of efforts to strengthen tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) and improve the educational attainment of American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) students.

The largest grant the College Fund has received in its 33-year history will fund Culture at the Heart: An Indigenous Approach to Enrollment and Retention, a five-year initiative designed to increase AIAN student enrollment, retention, and graduation rates at 25 tribal colleges and universities serving Native communities. The program aims to give Native students the critical and culturally based skills to serve their communities in the fields of health care, environmental science, business, law, education, and more.

According to the College Fund, the importance of student scholarships has been well established, but scholarships are not enough to create equitable access to higher education. Currently, 15.4 percent of AIAN people ages 25 and older have achieved a bachelor’s degree or higher—less than half the national average—according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

“American Indian College Fund is an important supporter of, and advocate for, tens of thousands of AIAN students around the country, many of whom attend TCUs,” said Lilly Endowment vice president for education Ted Maple. “We hope that this grant to the College Fund will enable TCUs to help even more AIAN students thrive, build meaningful careers, and become leaders in their communities.” 

(Photo credit: Getty Images/skdonnell)