Denver, Colo., Oct. 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Three members of the National Native Scholarship Providers (NNSP) group, which includes the American Indian College Fund, AISES, and Cobell Scholarship, Inc., collaborated on the research and release of a new study, “Power in Culture: A Study on Campus Climate and Sense of Belonging for Indigenous Students.” Indigenous students surveyed shared what factors make them feel they belong, stay enrolled in college, and graduate.
More than 560 students completed a survey across 184 institutions and multiple sectors, including tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), predominantly white institutions (PWls), Hispanic-serving institutions (HSls), and other minority-serving institutions (MSls).
The key findings of the survey can be broken down at the individual, institutional, and state level.
On the individual level, a sense of belonging at a higher education institution with strong institutional support is one of the highest predictors of student persistence, especially for racially minoritized populations. Institutional support was the most powerful driver of belonging and feeling less socially isolated, even in environments lacking formal inclusion.
Tribal colleges and universities ranked higher on the institutional level in terms of fostering belonging, cultural affirmation, and community. A student-defined and culturally responsive atmosphere at tribal colleges was credited for this. Non-TCU students stated they often must create their own spaces to feel seen and supported, while also experiencing more racial hostility, microaggressions, and isolation combined with less safety. Overall students with higher proportions of Native students reported experiencing a 14% stronger sense of belonging than those at schools with fewer Native peers.
On the state level, students attending non-tribal colleges in states with large Native populations or a TCU presence reported a lower sense of student belonging than those in other states, showing Native population size does not always equate to a sense of belonging. Also ironically, in states with TCUs present, students reported an 18% lower sense of belonging than those without one, pointing to greater systemic and contextual issues, with more analysis needed to uncover the meaning of this. Yet statewide support had a positive influence on belonging, with each increase in state support correlating to a 95% rise in individual student sense of belonging. Students living off campus at these institutions also reported a 16.5% higher sense of belonging than those on campus.
The study also follows the enrollment patterns of 654 students over six years, beginning in the 2016 fall term. Belonging is particularly important because initial National Student Clearinghouse snapshots echo prior research showing that many students swirl, stop out, and re-enroll in college, with early-year attrition more common in climates with scarce support. Conversely, two-year completions spike where cultural and institutional support is stronger, such as at TCUs.
The study breaks down student belonging using six constructs, including institutional support (students’ sense of acceptance, inclusion, and identity by the institution); tribal support (perceptions of report received and student connection to their tribal community); family support (perceptions of familial support while at the institution); peer support (peer interactions and participation in student groups on campus); campus climate (students’ perceptions of how welcoming and supportive the campus environment is and how effective an institution is responding to diversity issues); and a sense of belonging (sense of deep connectedness in which a participant perceives being valued, supported, and accepted as part of a group).
Policy and practice recommendations include investing in peer and mentoring programs particularly at non-TCUs; using culturally grounded evaluation tools; recognizing non-linear college pathways; the importance of emergency aid in retention; and prioritizing identity-affirming programs in higher education to ensure Native student success.
To download a copy of the report, please visit https://collegefund.org/power-in-culture/.
To learn more about the report and its findings or to schedule an interview with the research team, please contact Dina Horwedel, Senior Director of Public Education, American Indian College Fund, at 303-430-5350 or dhorwedel@collegefund.org.
About the American Indian College Fund — The American Indian College Fund has been the nation’s largest charity supporting Native higher education for 34 years. The College Fund believes “Education is the answer” and provided $23.1 million in scholarships and other direct student support to American Indian students in 2024-25. The College Fund also supports a variety of academic and support programs at the nation’s tribal colleges and universities, which are located on or near Indian reservations, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers. The College Fund consistently receives top ratings from independent charity evaluators and is one of the nation’s top 100 charities named to the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance and is a Charity Navigator four-star charity. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit www.collegefund.org.
Journalists—The American Indian College Fund does not use the acronym AICF. On second reference, please use the College Fund.
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Dina Horwedel American Indian College Fund 303-430-5350 dhorwedel@collegefund.org Colleen R. Billiot American Indian College Fund 720-214-2569 cbilliot@collegefund.org
