Centering Native college students’ lived experiences, community values, and cultural identities 

Each November, during Native American Heritage Month, we celebrate the culture, traditions, and achievements of Native and Indigenous communities. We at Native Forward Scholars Fund reflect on the work still ahead to ensure Native students can access the opportunities they have long been denied.

Despite progress, Native students remain among the most underserved in higher education. Although Native Americans comprise nearly 3% of the U.S. population, according to the Postsecondary National Policy Institute, they represent fewer than 1% of enrolled college students. Among those who enroll, only 41% complete their degrees, compared with 69% of students nationally. These disparities reflect a combination of financial barriers and limited access to culturally congruent support networks.

At Native Forward Scholars Fund, we believe access to higher education by investing in student scholarships contributes to greater economic mobility, self-determination, and Tribal sovereignty for scholars and Native communities. When Native students succeed, their communities and Nations thrive. By pairing scholarships with culturally congruent student services and partnerships with universities, which align every aspect of the organization’s work with the values, and identities of our community, we’ve seen the results firsthand: 69% of undergraduate scholars graduate on time, far exceeding the national rate for Native students, while 95% of graduate scholars complete their degrees.

Within higher education, culturally congruent support means aligning resources and support structures with students’ lived experiences, community values, and cultural identities. The demand for this support continues to grow. Applications for the 2025–26 academic year have increased 32% over the prior year, a powerful indicator that the financial need remains widespread, especially in today’s uncertain economy. Every year, we can fund only about 22% of qualified applicants, and there are thousands more future leaders ready to strengthen their communities. Every scholarship equips one Native scholar to build a legacy of leadership.

The case for trust-based and culturally congruent approaches

Across philanthropy and higher education, trust-based philanthropy combined with culturally congruent programs is increasingly recognized as a model for lasting change.

At Native Forward, this includes assistance with Native Forward and FAFSA applications, as well as guidance on award revisions and disbursements, and cost of attendance adjustments. We also provide one-to-one outreach to support students through the most difficult parts of their academic journey—institutional outreach and advocacy—to help them connect with campus resources such as tutoring, mentoring, and peer groups, and incentive programs that celebrate student accomplishments through acknowledgements such as graduation stoles, achievement medals, and Student of the Month recognition.

Our experience shows that when these elements are embedded in program design, they not only improve individual outcomes but also strengthen institutions. Colleges and universities that partner with Native-led organizations and Tribal Nations consistently report higher engagement and retention rates for Native students.

Trends in philanthropic investment

Recent analyses by Candid and Native Americans in Philanthropy reveal that Native-led organizations receive just 0.4% of total U.S. philanthropic funding. This figure highlights a significant opportunity for funders to improve support for the community through more intentional investment.

Data from Native Forward’s programs demonstrate that culturally congruent models elevate exponential impact, particularly through multi-year, trust-based philanthropy, and have transformative effects across the education sector. In 2020, a large unrestricted gift from MacKenzie Scott to Native Forward allowed us to establish six new scholarships and provide comprehensive wraparound services for each of our scholars. It also enabled us to rebrand to reflect our mission of funding and empowering the next generation of Native leaders, which increased small individual gifts by 1262% and scaled our impact to increase the number of scholarship recipients and the depth of resources we provide them. We recently received an additional gift that will go directly into the hands of our scholars.

Several other major philanthropic commitments in recent years have also included flexible or unrestricted funding for Native-led initiatives. These approaches enable organizations to strengthen infrastructure, build data capacity, and pilot innovative strategies.

Lessons for the sector

1. Culture is a measurable driver of success. Programs that integrate mentorship, language preservation, and cultural affirmation are not simply “nice to have”—they directly correlate with higher persistence and graduation rates.

2. Sustained investment yields compounding returns. Multi-year, trust-based funding allows organizations to move beyond short-term aid toward systems-level change. Stable funding has enabled Native Forward to evaluate, iterate, and scale proven models.

3. Collaboration accelerates learning. Partnerships between philanthropic foundations and funders and Native-led organizations create replicable frameworks for culturally responsive community support.

Looking ahead

As we celebrate Native American Heritage Month, we’re reminded that philanthropy has the power to transform lives in Native and Indigenous communities. For the philanthropic sector, one truth is clear: When investment strategies are trust-based, culturally informed, and community-led, they produce enduring results and their impact endures—creating opportunities that span families, Nations, and generations.

Photo credit: Native Forward Scholars Fund