This report provides an overview of Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) and their role in creating access to higher education for thousands of students. It also includes a snapshot of the students who attend these unique institutions. Like the national population of community college students, tribal college students face challenges that may impede their ability to persist. Tribal colleges are often in rural locations; therefore, unreliable transportation and a lack of Internet services can present hardships. Additionally, many tribal college students face food insecurity.
Continued investments from tribal colleges and additional investments from outside the colleges can address these challenges and help more students succeed, the report notes.