“There are more opportunities out there today than ever before,� says Silas of AISES, “and that’s a very important and positive development.�

But Silas also says she thinks some of the many American Indian community programs in rural and isolated sections of the country have been less successful because the scholarship sponsors “just don’t have the relationships they need with these various communities. They don’t know where to go to get the information into the right hands.�

Popular perceptions regarding tribal colleges are another problem, says AICF’s Adams. “Many people still don’t really know exactly what they are. They don’t know where the tribal colleges are or what students they serve. So, very often we have to begin with a basic education effort that is designed simply to raise the awareness level of these schools and go from there.�

Even in the face of such challenges, Roman Nose says the percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Native students in higher education is going to continue to increase, due in large part to the simple existence of so many scholarship options.

“Because there are so many more opportunities out there than there used to be, it is almost inevitable that the numbers of Native American students are going to grow,� he says. “But the students have to do their part, too. What they don’t know about these different scholarship programs, they have to find out. And they have to take their time to apply, apply and apply. That’s what is really going to make a difference.�