By The Circle
The U.S. Department of the Interior will assume administration of federal funding for tribal colleges, a responsibility long held by the U.S. Department of Education. The shift is causing worry among tribal higher education leaders who fear disruptions to funding stability and long-standing institutional relationships.
The reorganization follows efforts by Education Secretary Linda McMahon to shrink the agency’s operational role and reassign implementation duties to other departments while retaining oversight and policy authority. Under the new agreement, the Interior Department will administer Title III tribal college funds that support academic programs, campus operations and student services.
Interior officials say the transition is logical because the department already oversees the Bureau of Indian Education, which manages tribal elementary and secondary schools along with two tribal colleges: Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in New Mexico. It also currently distributes scholarships and other financial aid to Native students.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the department will work to “enhance Indian education programs, streamline operations and refocus efforts” to support Native communities across the country, including tribal college students.
The American Indian Higher Education Consortium said it would collaborate closely with federal officials to maintain continuity for the more than three dozen tribal colleges nationwide. In a statement, the organization emphasized that federal funding is rooted in treaty obligations and is essential to preserving tribal sovereignty and student success.
Still, the change has unsettled many leaders on tribal campuses who say they were not consulted. They worry the transition could weaken financial safeguards and threaten programs that have historically been managed by the Education Department.
At Tohono O’odham Community College in Arizona, President Stephen Schoonmaker said the Interior Department’s competing priorities already raised concerns earlier this year, when the Trump administration proposed reducing tribal college funding by more than 80 percent, cutting allocations from roughly $127 million to about $22 million. That reduction was ultimately blocked by Congress.
Schoonmaker said focusing so much responsibility in one agency could increase the risk of severe consequences should political priorities shift again. “Putting everything under one basket” means “if something goes wrong, it all goes wrong,” he said.
Leaders at College of Menominee Nation in Wisconsin expressed similar concerns. President Chris Caldwell said strong philanthropic support — including a $10 million gift from MacKenzie Scott — and a one-time influx of federal funds brought temporary relief this year but cannot replace predictable, ongoing support through the Education Department.
Caldwell said tribal colleges have experienced a “roller coaster” of financial uncertainty over the past several years. He worries that a poorly coordinated transition could delay resources or derail program development at colleges already operating with tight budgets.
The lack of consultation has added to the anxiety. Twyla Baker, president of Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College in North Dakota, said the interagency shift “came as a total surprise.” She urged Interior and Education officials to involve tribal nations immediately and warned that colleges in small, rural communities cannot sustain disruptions to essential federal services.
Baker said that without structured communication and planning, administrators and faculty may be forced to divert attention from their core mission of educating Native students and supporting local economies. That would be “untenable,” she said.
Many of the concerns stem from the troubled history of the Bureau of Indian Education. In recent years, Congress and Native leaders have scrutinized the bureau over oversight failures — including sexual-assault reporting problems at Haskell Indian Nations University — and over broader challenges in academic quality and facility management. Some lawmakers have even explored removing Haskell from federal oversight.
Criticism of the BIE is not new. A 2014 joint report issued by federal officials described the bureau as a “stain on our Nation’s history,” citing generations of Native students who were inadequately served by federal education systems. While Interior officials say reforms are underway, confidence remains fragile among tribal educators.
The Interior Department said it intends to strengthen engagement with tribes and college representatives as it coordinates Native higher-education programs. Officials said the goal is to deliver improved services and expanded academic opportunities across Indian Country.
Despite modest reassurance from Washington, tribal college leaders say they need more detailed plans and transparent timelines. Several institutions serve thousands of students in remote areas where colleges are among the largest employers and cultural anchors. Any instability could have far-reaching effects on both education and community well-being.
As the January transition draws closer, concerns remain unresolved. Tribal educators say that after years of incremental progress — and the recent financial bolstering from emergency relief and philanthropy — another major shift in oversight feels dangerous and exhausting. “I have been on roller coasters,” Caldwell said. “But never a roller coaster like this.”
