Summary
Information as of September 17, 2025. Prepared by Cassandria Dortch, Specialist in Education Policy; Eleni G. Bickell, Analyst in
Agricultural Policy; Lisa Benson, Specialist in Agricultural Policy; and Jamie Bush, Visual Information Specialist. For more information,
see CRS Report R43237, Programs for Minority-Serving Institutions Under the Higher Education Act; CRS In Focus IF12009, 1994 Land-Grant
Universities: Background and Selected Issues; and CRS Report R48462, Rural Community Facilities: A Guide to Programs.
Sources: Congressional budget justifications and other agency documents.
Notes: ACF is the Administration for Children and Families. BIE is the Bureau of Indian Education. EDU is the Directorate for Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Math (STEM) Education. FDL is Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College. IAIA is Institute of American Indian Arts. Indian A-airs is the Office of the
Assistant Secretary for Indian A-airs. NIFA is the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. OCTAE is the Office of Career and Technical Education. OHS is the
Office of Head Start. OPE is the Office of Postsecondary Education. RHS is the Rural Housing Service. TCCU is Tribally controlled college or university. TCU is
Tribal college or university.
Sources of Federal Funding for
Tribal Colleges and Universities
There are 35 federally funded TCUs, and all have been designated as 1994 land-grant institutions under the Equity in Educational
Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7U.S.C. §301 note). The federal government has designated certain colleges and universities as
land-grant institutions to promote and fund their focus on the agricultural and mechanical arts. TCUs can be grouped into the
following categories:
While TCUs receive additional federal funding not shown here, the programs below each provided $4 million or more in funding to
TCUs in FY2024, for a total of $319 million. Each entry notes the administering agency and eligible TCU types.
$89
$30
$16
$9
$80
$12
$20
$13
$8
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Tribal Colleges and Universities
Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)
Haskell Indian Nations University and
Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (BIE)
Tribal Colleges Facilities Improvement
and Repair (Indian A-airs and BIE)
Tribal Technical Colleges (BIE)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
American Indian Tribally Controlled
Colleges and Universities (OPE)
Tribally Controlled Postsecondary Career and
Technical Institutions (OCTAE)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (EDU)
INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN INDIAN ARTS
IAIA
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
AND HUMAN SERVICES
Tribal Colleges and Universities
Head Start Partnership Program (ACF, OHS)
TCCUS
TECH
TCCUS BIE FDL IAIA
Tribal Colleges Extension (NIFA) $11
Tribal Colleges Educational Equity Grants (NIFA) $7
Tribal Colleges Endowment Fund (NIFA) $12
Federally Recognized Tribes Extension (NIFA) $4
$ in millions
The federal government has a trust responsibility to federally recognized Tribes and
has committed to a policy supporting Tribal self-determination. One way this
responsibility and policy is carried out is through federal support for Tribal colleges
and universities (TCUs).
Tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs) – 31 institutions that are formally controlled, or have
been formally sanctioned, or chartered, by the governing body of a Tribe or Tribes, including 2 designated as
Tribal technical colleges (Tech TCCUs);
Federal institutions – 2 institutions operated by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) for the postsecondary
education of Tribal members; and
Other institutions – 2 other institutions: Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College (FDL), which is operated
through a Tribal-state partnership, and the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), which is a federally
chartered entity for the study of Indian art and culture.
Institute of
American Indian
Arts (IAIA)
29 TCCUs 2 Technical
TCCUs (Tech TCCUs)
2 Federal
Institutions (BIE)
Fond du Lac Tribal
and Community
College (FDL)
Community Facilities Tribal College Initiative (RHS) $8
FY2024