About AIHEC
TRIBAL Colleges: Educating, Engaging, Innovating, Sustaining, Honoring
In 1973, the first six American Indian tribally controlled colleges established the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) to provide a support network as they worked to influence federal policies on American Indian higher education. Today, AIHEC has grown to 37 Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) in the United States. Each of these institutions was created and chartered by its own tribal government or the federal government for a specific purpose: to provide higher education opportunities to American Indians through programs that are locally and culturally based, holistic, and supportive.
Through AIHEC, our colleges continue to work together to influence policy and build programs in all facets of higher education. They receive technical assistance in key areas; network with one another, federal agencies, other institutions, and potential partners; mentor new institutions; and plan new initiatives to address evolving areas of need.
AIHEC provides leadership and influences public policy on American Indian and Alaska Native higher education issues through advocacy, research, and programmatic initiatives; promotes and strengthens Indigenous languages, cultures, communities, lands, and tribal nations; and through its unique position, serves member institutions and developing TCUs.
AIHEC activities are supported by member dues, grants and contracts. AIHEC is a 501(c)(3) organization governed by a board of directors, which is composed of the presidents of the accredited United States-based TCUs. The board elects from its membership an executive committee to oversee the activities of the collective body and the AIHEC staff.
Milestones of the AIHEC Vision: Sovereign Nations through Excellence in TRIBAL Higher Education
A Timeline of the Tribal College Movement and AIHEC
| 1650 | Harvard University's charter calls for the "education of English and Indian youth" |
| 1871 | U.S. declares an end to negotiating new Indian treaties, after approximately 400 pacts (many of which promised schools and health services in exchange for tribal land) |
| 1879 | The first non-reservation Indian boarding school is founded as Carlisle Indian Industrial School |
| 1884 | The United States Indian Industrial Training School is established in Lawrence, KS providing a semi-military style boarding school education for Indians; three years later the institution was renamed Haskell Institute |
| 1921 | Congress passes the Snyder Act, authorizing federal funding for the benefit, care, and assistance of the Indians throughout the U.S., including education |
| 1928 | Meriam Report released detailing the poor quality of education and health services provided to Indians |
| 1968 | First tribal college is established: Navajo Community College (renamed Diné College in 1997) |
| 1969 | Kennedy Report—Indian Education: A National Tragedy, A National Challenge—recommends greater tribal control over education |
| 1973 | American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) is founded by six tribal colleges |
| 1975 | President Nixon signs the Indian Self-Determination Act (P.L. 93-638) giving tribal governments more authority over education, health, and social services |
| 1978 | President Carter signs the Tribally Controlled Community Colleges Assistance Act (Tribal College Act) to provide federal institutional operating funds to eligible institutions |
| 1981 | Congress funds the Tribal College Act at $2,831 per Indian student for TCU operating budgets |
| 1981 | First annual AIHEC Student Conference is held in Rapid City, SD |
| 1986 | The AIHEC Student Congress, a national coordinating voice for TCU student leadership, is established |
| 1989 | Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching report deems tribal colleges "underfunded miracles" and illustrates how TCUs are "shaping the future of Native America" |
| 1989 | AIHEC, with Paul Boyer, launches the Tribal College Journal—the TCUs' quarterly publication on Tribal higher education—with funding from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching |
| 1989 | AIHEC creates the American Indian College Fund (AICF) to provide scholarships for TCU students |
| 1993 | As AIHEC marks its 20th anniversary, it has 27 member institutions |
| 1994 | Twenty-six TCUs received recognition as federal land-grant institutions (1994 Land-Grant Institutions) through passage of the Equity in Educational Land-grant Status Act of 1994 |
| 1996 | Congress eliminates dedicated funding for all Tribal/TCU Adult Basic Education programs |
| 1996 | President Clinton issues an Executive Order creating a White House Initiative on Tribal Colleges and Universities (WHITCU), directing federal agencies to recognize and engage with the TCUs |
| 1996 | W.K. Kellogg Foundation launches $22M Native American higher education initiative focused on Tribal Colleges |
| 1997 | Second Carnegie Report, "Native American Colleges: Progress & Prospects," is published |
| 1998 | New competitive Title III program is established specifically for TCUs in HEA reauthorization |
| 1999 | TCU-Head Start Partnership program is established in DHHS |
| 1999 | AIHEC, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), and National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) establish the Alliance for Equity in Higher Education (Alliance) |
| 1999 | AIHEC and the Institute for Higher Education Policy release the first of a series of illuminating reports on the TCUs |
| 2000 | President Clinton proposes/Congress funds the American Indian Teacher Corps and American Indian Administrator Corps grants' programs |
| 2001 | New federal initiatives for TCUs are established in USDA, HUD, DoD, Department of Education, National Science Foundation, and NASA |
| 2002 | President George W. Bush signs a new Executive Order continuing WHITCU |
| 2002 | Farm Security and Rural Investment Act is enacted reauthorization all 1994 Land-Grant programs and White Earth Tribal & Community College is added to the list 1994 Land-grant Institutions |
| 2002 | The World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium (WINHEC) is established by AIHEC (TCUs), the Wänanga of Aotearoa (New Zealand), and Saamiland University (Norway) |
| 2002 | Bipartisan Task Force on Tribal Colleges and Universities established in the U.S. Senate |
| 2002 | The Alliance, with a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, launches the Kellogg MSI (Minority Serving Institutions) Leadership Fellows program to identify and mentor the next generation of MSI presidents |
| 2003 | AIHEC Athletic Commission is established |
| 2004 | Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College and Tohono O'odham Community College are added to the list of 1994 Institutions through enactment P.L. 108-204 and P.L. 108-447, respectively |
| 2004 | With funding from Lumina Foundation for Education, AIHEC launches AIHEC AIMS—American Indian Measures of Success—a new and unique TCU data collection initiative |
| 2006 | AIHEC adopts a new multiyear strategic plan focusing on sustainability, performance accountability, student engagement and strengthening communities |
| 2007 | Congress enacts the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA), including an additional $60M over two years, for TCU Title III programs |
| 2008 | AIHEC succeeds in securing a formula funded TCU-Title III program in HEA reauthorization |
| 2008 | Diné College marks its 40th anniversary |
| 2008 | AIHEC is successful in securing an increased authorization for the per-Indian student to $8,000, adjusted annually for inflation |
| 2008 | Ilisagvik College is added to the list of 1994 Land-Grant Institutions through the enactment of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act (P.L.110-234 |
| 2009 | AIHEC publishes Indigenous Evaluation Framework, Telling Our Story in Our Place and Time—a first of its kind workbook |
| 2009 | President Obama donates partial proceeds from his Nobel Peace Prize to AICF for TCU student scholarships |
| 2009 | AIHEC is successful in securing $50M in President Obama's first Budget to transition Tribal College Act grants to forward funding |
| 2009 | AIHEC publishes first AIHEC-AIMS Fact Book of annually collected data covering more than 110 indicators |
| 2010 | Mandatory funding first awarded under CCRAA is extended for TCUs under the Student Aid and Financial Responsibility Act (SAFRA) for an additional 10 years at $30M/year ($300M total) |
| 2010 | Alliance member organizations receive a $3M grant from the Walmart Foundation to increase student success rates at MSIs |
| 2011 | AIHEC successful in securing authorization for the NSF-TCU program in American COMPETES Act (PL 111-358) |
| 2011 | President Obama eliminates WHITCU and instead issues an all-encompassing executive order on improving Indian Education that includes TCUs |
| 2011 | The AIHEC Tribal College Journal goes digital, giving readers complete online access to every issue of the publication and further expanding networks between TCUs |
| 2012 | AIHEC launches "Restoring the Circle: Ending Violence and Abuse on TCU Campuses," a nationwide campaign to proactively address sexual assault and dating violence on college campuses |
| 2013 | AIHEC marks its 40th anniversary |
| 2014 | Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College and College of the Muscogee Nation are added as 1994 Land-grant Institutions |
| 2014 | 20th anniversary of the 1994 Land-grant programs |
| 2014 | 25th anniversary of the Tribal College Journal |
| 2014 | 25th anniversary of the American Indian College Fund |