While dozens of tribal colleges and universities — or TCUs — are facing federal funding cuts that could force them to shut down, a new report highlights some of the economic impacts generated from tens of thousands of alumni. It’s meant to show the “positive return on investment for students, taxpayers and society.”
Using data from 35 institutions, including the oldest, Diné College, this study was commissioned by the nonprofit American Indian Higher Education Consortium. It found that more than 40,700 former students added nearly $4 billion to the U.S. economy between 2022 and 2023.
“TCUs are a direct expression of sovereignty over our education systems,” said Ahniwake Rose, who is Cherokee and the nonprofit’s president and CEO, “that drive job creation in our local economies, that are land and community based and that are also grounded in Native culture and traditions.”
“But they’re also economic powerhouses,” New Mexico Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury told KJZZ, “and that’s part of what this study shows, is that not only the students who get educated there but also the colleges themselves, generate tens of millions of dollars for the state of New Mexico.”
She’s hopeful for stable Biden-era funding.
“As we’re headed into the last two weeks before the end of the fiscal year, the White House and Republicans have yet to produce a viable budget,” added Stansbury. “So we anticipate that the cuts that were proposed in Trump’s budget are not going to go through because of the continuing resolution.”
About a sixth of all tribal colleges call Arizona and New Mexico home.
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