New Policy Report Reveals Investing in America Indians and Higher Education Offers Large Dividends
Published May 15, 2014
Washington, D.C., March 20, 2007—A new report from the Institute for Higher Education Policy demonstrates that higher education drives economic and social development for all American Indian communities. The Institute collaborated with the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) and the American Indian College Fund on the report.
Historically, low numbers of American Indians have pursued higher education. Almost 28 percent of American Indians age 25 and over had not graduated from high school in 2004, compared with the national average of 15 percent.
However, that is beginning to change. American Indian college enrollment has more than doubled in recent years, according to the report, The Path of Many Journeys: The Benefits of Higher Education for Native People and Communities.
The report demonstrates the economic benefits to the graduate, tribal communities, and the entire nation. It also documents less obvious social benefits in areas such as health and civic involvement. “Entire communities and the nation as a whole benefit from greater higher-education access—thanks to less unemployment, greater productivity, reduced reliance on public assistance, greater civic participation, less crime, and better quality of health, civic life, and social cohesion,” according to Carl C. Dalstrom, USA Funds® president and CEO. USA Funds provided funding for the study.
A person with a bachelor’s degree or higher earns almost four times as much as a person who did not graduate from high school. This is true for American Indians and the U.S. population in general, according to the report.
When asked about their physical health, American Indian postsecondary graduates were much more likely to describe themselves as healthy than those without a high school degree (88% compared with 73%).
“Educated people tend to be active members of their society and to have greater trust in its institutions. Education promotes social cohesion,” according to Gerald Gipp, executive director of AIHEC. The study quantified civic engagement (who votes) and volunteerism.
Significant barriers to American Indian participating and succeeding in higher education remain, however, including financial, historical, and cultural barriers. More than a third of all American Indian students are 30 years or older, which puts them at risk for dropping out prior to earning a degree. Most (65%) must support themselves and often other family members, compared to a national average for all college students of 50 percent.
Traditional forms of higher education have often been unsuccessful with American Indian populations because of differences in Western and American Indian traditions, pedagogical approaches, and measures of success.
To address these barriers, the report makes several recommendations for investing in higher education for American Indians at both state- and privately-funded universities and at tribal colleges and universities (TCUs). The TCUs serve many of the American Indians now in postsecondary institutions and utilize more culturally suitable pedagogical approaches, curriculum, and measures of success.
The report says the federal government should increase funding for need-based financial aid programs, federal student support services programs, and early intervention programs. It also makes recommendations for state and tribal governments, mainstream colleges and universities, elementary and secondary systems, and community and philanthropic organizations.
“Increasing the number of American Indian postsecondary graduates will not only assist in their personal development but also contribute to the economic and social welfare of the nation as a whole.
However, it will be difficult to reach the goal unless more funds are directed to support systems that have proved effective in the past,” according to the Institute’s President Jamie P. Merisotis.
“Our organizations have worked together over nearly two decades to emphasize the importance of investing in successful educational strategies. This study reinforces the importance of this investment,” said Richard B. Williams, president and CEO of the College Fund.
The Path of Many Journeys report was inspired in part by a nationally acclaimed 2004 study by the Institute entitled Investing in America’s Future: Why Student Aid Pays Off for Individuals and Society, which was also partially funded by USA Funds.
The first TCU was established nearly 40 years ago on the Navajo Reservation. Chartered by tribes and located primarily on reservations, the 34 tribal colleges and universities in the United States provide access to higher education for both American Indians and non-Indians.
