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The Center for Community College Student Engagement released a report Wednesday that found students attending tribal institutions overwhelmingly agreed that their colleges' focus on culture and identity is valuable to their educations.
"Tribal colleges are often overlooked in the field of higher education but they shouldn't be," CCCSE executive director Evelyn Waiwaiole said in a news release. "They are creating important opportunities for their students."
The survey found that only 10 percent of tribal college students are fluent in a Native American language, but 45 percent said they intend to gain fluency while attending college, which is something that may not happen at a nontribal institution. Sixty percent of students said their college experience has developed their ability to understand, communicate and interact with their tribe. Nearly 90 percent of students said they have felt a sense of belonging on their campuses.
The report also found that tribal college students face the same challenges that community college students across the country do that may hinder their academic success. Forty-nine percent of tribal students said they lack reliable transportation, and 25 percent reported running out of food at some point within a 12-month period and not having enough money to buy more.
