Tribal Colleges Say They Need Immediate Funding to Face up to Coronavirus Challenges

The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) said on Tuesday that special, set-aside funding is required for tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) to deal with the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report in The Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education.

AIHEC said that TCUs need to move instruction online so they can provide safe learning environments for their students.

“Yet TCUs have the worst internet access, at the highest average cost, when compared to all other colleges and universities in the United States,” the consortium said. “TCUs educate more enrolled American Indians and Alaska Natives than any other postsecondary education institutions in the U.S.—and our students need and deserve equitable resources.”