Editorial: Tribal colleges deserve state funds

Tuesday, January 23, 2007  

"North Dakota’s tribal colleges and universities are the stepchildren of education.

Often ignored, they have been left to fend for themselves. Through federal funding and donations they have been able to grow, filling an important role in the education of American Indians.

The five schools in the state are Sitting Bull College, Fort Yates; United Tribes Technical College, Bismarck; Fort Berthold Community College, New Town; Turtle Mountain Community College, Belcourt; and Cankdeska Cikana Community College, Fort Totten.

While the focus of the schools remains the education of Indians, they also serve others. Students also are non-enrolled Indians and are non-Indians from the surrounding communities.

They are called nonbeneficiary students because the colleges don’t receive federal funding for them.

But the colleges welcome them. They provide diversity for the campuses. And the education they receive make them more valuable members of their communities."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Indian schools deserve funds (The Bismarck Tribune 1/22)

Relevant Links:
American Indian Higher Education Consortium - http://www.aihec.org
Tribal Colleges and Universities - http://www.ed.gov/about/inits/list/whtc/edlite-index.html
American Indian College Fund - http://collegefund.org

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Fort Berthold tribal college signs partnership (12/13)
Bush announces new members of tribal college board (12/4)
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Congress restores Bush's cuts to Indian programs (11/22)
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