Just an hour north of American Indian College Fund headquarters in Denver, Colorado, it took only one nervous mother to turn what should have been a happy rite of passage for two young Native American men—a campus tour of their dream school—into a dispiriting experience. They were pulled from the tour group and questioned because the woman told police they were quiet and “creepy,” citing their skin color and race, among other things.
By the time campus police determined the young men had signed up for the tour, it had gone on without them. Officials at Colorado State University (CSU) later apologized and offered to reimburse the young men for their travel expenses.
College visits are an important part of the pre-college experience. The American Indian College Fund encourages them so potential students feel safe and accepted at the college of their choice. As the president of the American Indian College Fund, it angers me when negative experiences, such as what occurred at Colorado State University (CSU), deter Native Americans from entering college and pursuing their dreams. It is ironic that this incident occurred on a university campus, where learning about and experiencing diverse cultures, race, and languages are extolled.
As upsetting as this incident was, I wish that I could say I find it surprising. But I can’t. Statistics combined with personal anecdotes of students in the communities we serve reveal a crisis with regard to college-going access for Native Americans.
The American Indians/Alaska Natives (AIAN) college degree attainment rate is less than half of the national average, at 14%, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
In addition, there is a low college-going rate amongst AIAN students.
For most college students, the transition from high school to a two- or four-year higher education institution occurs in the immediate fall following high school graduation. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2015 the national transition rate for all students was 69%.
The national college-going rate for all AIAN high school students is unknown (pointing to the need for adequate national education data about Native Americans). However, many states report a college-going rate for Native students in the low 40% range. And it is common for college-going rates for AIAN students attending reservation-based high schools to be in the low 20% range.
College choice is presumed to be closely linked to student interest and access to resources, but in reality, where a student chooses to study is more complex.
Through our work at the American Indian College Fund, many scholars share they feel invisible or unwelcome at mainstream colleges and universities. We have no reason to believe this will change without higher education institutions addressing systemic and institutional racism. This coupled with financial need may be the reason for low college-going and college degree-attainment rates amongst Native Americans.
Racist mascots, Halloween festivities in which students dress up as “cowboys and Indians,” and lack of a significant population of AIAN faculty, staff, and students (CSU reports on its web site that only 1%, or 164, of its 31,943 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in 2015 are Native American) contribute to the feeling of invisibility. A college curriculum that does not include or acknowledge Native American cultural, historic, scientific, and literary perspectives, contributions, and achievements can add to AIAN students’ feeling of being invisible or unwanted. Being part of a small minority can also thrust Native Americans into an unwanted additional role—that of educator and spokesperson about and for Native Americans.
For many, the discomfort is difficult to overcome. Some drop out. Others transfer to another institution, such as a tribal college or university chartered to serve Native American communities, or one where the environment is more welcoming.
College isn’t the beginning of Native American students’ troubles, however.
Native high school students often navigate the college admissions process with limited access to mentors and resources to help them find the right college. At high schools where counselors exist, students are often told they are not college material.
The truth is that a higher education is possible for all students, whether they decide to learn a skilled trade, attend a tribal college, or a large university. Native American high school students, like any others, need mentors and support to help them successfully make the transition.
The American Indian College Fund helps Native American students get into college, pay for it, graduate, and begin a career with financial and programmatic support. We know education is the answer to creating engaged, involved, economically and culturally sustainable communities. Education gives individuals a greater voice in the issues that affect them and their communities.
Education is also the answer in helping mainstream colleges and universities provide Native American students with educational opportunities in an environment that welcomes, supports, and embraces them.
We are asking higher education institutions to join us in our efforts to increase the numbers of AIAN students going to college and earning a degree by implementing the following steps:
Acknowledge the indigenous people on whose lands work is being done and where institutions exist;
Train and help students, faculty, and staff to call out racism when it happens;
Educate college personnel about indigenous culture, history, and inclusion;
Examine curriculum to ensure fair representation; and
Include AIAN student data in institutional data points.
If colleges and universities are serious about providing Native American students with an equitable education, they must eliminate institutionalized racism and give them the chance they deserve to succeed.
American Indian College Fund Official Statement download >>
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