|
AIHEC Statement on the 2027 President’s Budget and Funding for Tribal Colleges and Universities
Alexandria, VA – April 6, 2026 – The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) is deeply concerned that the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 President’s Budget does not align with the Administration’s stated priorities to support rural America and expand access to higher education. For the second year in a row, the Department of the Interior is proposing to eliminate all dedicated funding for Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs).
Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) serve as essential education, workforce, and economic anchors in some of the most rural and underserved regions of the country. In FY 2022-2023 alone, TCUs generated $3.8 billion in economic growth for the United States and supported more than 40,700 jobs across key sectors, including healthcare, government, retail, and professional services. Every federal dollar invested in TCUs returns $1.60 in tax revenue, demonstrating the efficiency and impact of this investment.
Despite this, the Department of the Interior (DOI) – where the federal trust responsibility to Tribal Nations is most direct – continues to fall short in its support for TCUs. Eliminating TCU funding does not represent meaningful federal savings; it removes a relatively small investment that delivers outsized economic and community impact. This continued underinvestment undermines both the federal government’s trust and treaty obligations and the Administration’s broader commitment to strengthening rural prosperity.
AIHEC recognizes and appreciates the investments made in Indian Country through the Departments of Labor and Education, which have expanded access to workforce development and postsecondary opportunities for Tribal and rural students. However, without parallel and sustained investment in TCUs through the Department of the Interior, Tribal Nations and rural communities will continue to face gaps in higher education infrastructure, funding, and opportunity.
Consistent and robust funding across agencies is essential to ensuring that Tribal students and communities are not left behind. If the Administration is committed to advancing opportunity in rural America, Tribal Colleges and Universities must be treated as a central investment priority in the President’s Budget, not an afterthought.
| 
