Tribally Controlled Community College Endowments
Active
- Assistance listing
- 15.028
- Agency
-
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Education
Department of the Interior
- Grant awards
- 137 $210,635,308 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance types
-
- Project Grant
- Block Grant
- Formula Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 14-2100-0-1-501
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Education funds endowment grants for tribally controlled community colleges under CFDA 15.028, with the most recent grant awards issued on July 1, 2024.
The program provides non-competitive grants to establish and fund endowment accounts that generate additional revenue for tribally controlled community colleges. Award amounts are determined by the number of eligible Indian students enrolled at each institution. Colleges must file an annual application to receive continued funding. Recipients must retain financial records for three years from the date of the single audit report submission, procurement records for three years from final payment, and property records for three years from disposition, replacement, or transfer.
Grant activity has declined substantially from historical levels. The program issued 137 awards between 2015 and 2024, averaging 38–47 awards annually in 2015–2017 but dropping to only 6 awards in 2024, the most recent year in the portfolio. Combined federal dollars obligated total $210.6 million across all awards. The Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Education dominate the program, funding 130 of 137 awards and obligating $208.1 million federal dollars; two smaller Interior sub-organizations account for the remaining 7 awards and $2.6 million.
The portfolio is predominantly Project Grants (73 percent, 100 awards) and Block Grants (26 percent, 35 awards), with minimal representation from Cooperative Agreements and Formula Grants. Recent FY25 block grant awards to individual colleges range from approximately $53 thousand to $129 thousand, with completion dates of June 30, 2026. Historical awards show wider variation; representative 2016–2017 block grants to institutions such as Diné College ($13.6 million), Salish Kootenai College ($4.2 million), and Blackfeet Community College ($3.3 million) contrast with smaller institutional allocations in other cycles.
No current grant opportunities are posted in the source materials.
Objective and description
- Objective
To provide grants to establish endowments for the Tribally Controlled Community Colleges.
- Description
Non-competitive grants to tribally controlled community colleges and universities for the basic funds to provide additional funds for an endowment account
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Colleges chartered by Federally Recognized Indian Tribes which are governed by an Indian board of directors, are in operation more than one year, admit students with a certificate of graduation from a secondary institution or equivalent, provide certificates, associate, baccalaureate and graduate degrees, are nonprofit and nonsectarian, and are accredited by a nationally recognized agency or association.
- Beneficiary eligibility
Indian students who are a member of or are at least a one-fourth degree Indian blood descendant of a member of an Indian tribe which is eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States through the Bureau of Indian Affairs to Indians because of their status as Indians.
- Uses of assistance
The funds shall be used to establish endowments. Income earned on the invested funds may be used to defray expenses associated with the operation of the College, including maintenance, administration, academic and support services, and community and student service programs. No part of the net earnings of the trust fund may inure to the benefit of any private individual.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Awards are made on an annual basis.
How to apply
- Application procedure
The amount of the award is determined by the number of eligible Indian Students enrolled in the college.
- Criteria for selecting proposals
Applicants meeting eligibility criteria are funded.
- Award procedure
The headquarters office calculates the amount of the award and the grantee is notified the Division of Post-Secondary Education.
- Deadlines
Assistance Listing administering agency organizational unit establishes deadlines.
- Time to approval or disapproval
Established by the Division of Post-Secondary Education.
- Renewals
Colleges must file an annual application to receive continued funding.
- Appeals
An applicant who disputes the amount of the award may request an informal conference with the deciding official, or may appeal the denial of the application to the Interior Board of Indian Appeals. Full appeal procedures are found in 25 CFR Part 2.
Grant awards
| Award | Recipient | Federal obligations | Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY25 TCU endowment | Blackfeet Community College | $110,189 | |
| FY25 TCU endowment | Chief Dull Knife College | $102,853 | |
| FY25 TCU endowment | College Of The Menominee Nation | $69,252 | |
| FY25 TCU endowment | Cankdeska Cikana Community College | $95,972 | |
| FY25 TCU endowment | Bay Mills Community College | $128,840 | |
| FY25 TCU endowment | Aaniiih Nakoda College | $53,688 | |
| LAC courte oreilles ojibewe CC | Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University | $6,454 | |
| White earth tribal/comm college | White Earth Tribal And Community College | $6,454 | |
| Turtle mountain comm college | Turtle Mountain College | $6,454 | |
| Sitting bull college | Sitting Bull College | $2,020,911 |
Latest 10 of 137 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dine College | $40,808,542 | 19% |
| 2 | Oglala Lakota College | $23,158,491 | 11% |
| 3 | Turtle Mountain College | $13,553,610 | 6% |
| 4 | Northwest Indian College Foundation | $13,187,960 | 6% |
| 5 | Salish Kootenai College, Inc. | $12,938,128 | 6% |
| 6 | Sinte Gleska University | $12,295,384 | 6% |
| 7 | Blackfeet Community College | $10,165,629 | 5% |
| 8 | Sitting Bull College | $7,903,750 | 4% |
| 9 | Stone Child College Corp | $7,394,162 | 4% |
| 10 | Little Big Horn Community College | $6,019,330 | 3% |
10 of 31 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2025 | $560,794 |
| FY2019 | $5,737 |
| FY2018 | $6,561,146 |
| FY2017 | $66,682,544 |
| FY2016 | $69,792,871 |
| FY2015 | $67,032,216 |
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 15.028?
Assistance Listing 15.028 is Tribally Controlled Community College Endowments, a federal grant program run by Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Education (Department of the Interior).
What is the CFDA number for Tribally Controlled Community College Endowments?
Its CFDA number is 15.028: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 15.028 awarded?
137 grant awards under 15.028 have obligated $210,635,308 in federal funds to 31 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 15.028?
The recipients obligated the most under Tribally Controlled Community College Endowments are Dine College ($40,808,542), Oglala Lakota College ($23,158,491) and Turtle Mountain College ($13,553,610).
How much did 15.028 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 15.028 obligated $560,794 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
On GovTribe
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