HUD AWARDS TRIBAL COLLEGES NEARLY $3 MILLION IN GRANTS
Funding to provide higher-educational opportunities for Native American communities

WASHINGTON - Five colleges that primarily serve Native Americans received $2,920,770 in grants today from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The funding, from HUD's Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP), will allow these institutions to develop or expand education and training programs for low- to moderate-income Native Americans.

"Higher-education institutions play important roles in their communities," said HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson who announced the funding today. "These grants provide the necessary resources these schools need to provide and enhance the academic programs to new generations of Native Americans."

Tribal universities and colleges (TUC) use the funding to expand, renovate and supply their facilities. TCUs are important partners in many communities, providing pressing social, educational, and economic needs. Many of these institutions serve remote regions and a growing number of local residents have come to depend heavily on TCU-sponsored education, counseling, health, and economic development initiatives. These grants encourage their efforts to make a difference in their communities.

The 2005 grantees are:

Fort Berthold Community College - $520,770

Fort Berthold Community College (FBCC) is a tribal college located on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota serving the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation. FBCC is a two-year public institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The College is also a 1994 Land Grant Institution. FBCC will use its grant to: renovate and centralize the student services offices to better provide services to students; equip and furnish the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara student center, including the cafeteria, activity room and internet study lounge; and install a security surveillance system.

Fort Belknap College - $600,000

Fort Belknap College (FBC) is a tribally controlled community college located on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in north central Montana. The college received its original charter in 1984 from the Fort Belknap Indian Community Council. FBC received its initial accreditation in 1993 from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, which is a regional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education. FBC will use its grant to build a new library. The library will be a college-owned building that will adjoin FBC's new cultural learning center and house an instructional classroom for use in library outreach and training activities.

Salish Kootenai College - $600,000

Salish Kootenai College (SKC) is the tribal college of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Indian Reservation in northwest Montana. SKC's mission is to provide quality postsecondary educational opportunities for Native Americans locally and throughout the U.S. SKC was the first tribal college in the northwest to receive full institutional accreditation from the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Colleges, at the associate degree (1984) and bachelor's degree (1988) levels. SKC will use its grant to construct a classroom addition to the health fitness center. The new classroom will allow health faculty and reservation health professionals to provide annual health education and screening activities to 1,500 Indian students and HUD housing community members. The proposed project will use the talent and experience of the building trades and highway construction faculty and students.

Sitting Bull College - $600,000

Sitting Bull College (SBC) is a tribally controlled college on the Standing Rock Reservation of North and South Dakota. SBC is accredited by the North Central Association (NCA) and has operated continuously since 1973.

SBC will use its grant to construct a family support center. The center will consist of an early childhood education department, an infirmary and modern, safe spaces for up to 75 children. This project will have a tremendous impact on the student body because a significant number of SBC students are parents with children who need daycare services. The center will discourage students from missing classes or dropping out of college entirely because of lack of childcare.

Oglala Lakota College - $600,000

Oglala Lakota College (OLC) is a tribal college located on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. OLC grants two-year, four-year, and Masters degrees and is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. OLC will use its grant to complete two important projects: 1) expand the He Sapa Instructional Center (HSIC) in Rapid City, S.D., by constructing four classrooms that can accommodate 30 students each, adding three offices for academic and financial aid counseling and tutoring and expanding the student lounge; and 2) construct a 3,032-square foot Piya Wiconi faculty office building at the main campus near Kyle to provide offices for 12 faculty members.

HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities; creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development as well as enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet and espanol.hud.gov.