American indian tribally controlled colleges and universities

The Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education awarded Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute $3.605 million on October 1, 2025, under the Higher Education Institutional Aid program (CFDA 84.031), a Project Grant supporting tribal colleges and universities through September 30, 2027.

The award funds institutional development activities to strengthen management and fiscal operations and to plan, develop, or implement activities including endowment building to strengthen academic quality. Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, a 1994 Land Grant Institution and tribally controlled college located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, serves Native American communities through higher education with emphasis on STEM, agriculture, and culturally relevant curriculum development.

Eligible recipients under the Strengthening Tribal Colleges and Universities program include tribal colleges and universities designated under the Tribally Controlled College or University Assistance Act of 1978, the Navajo Community College Assistance Act of 1978, or the Equity in Educational Land Grant Status Act of 1994. Institutions applying for another grant under the program must reapply for eligibility after fulfilling a two-year wait-out period following termination of a prior five-year individual development grant.