There are 34 accredited Tribal Colleges and Universities in the United States. These institutions, primarily two-year colleges, are often chartered by their tribal nations and serve as important educational and cultural centers. TCUs receive financial support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture as land-grant institutions and from the U.S. Department of Education. However, unlike more mainstream community colleges, TCUs do not receive funding from property taxes.
The American Indian College Fund collaborates with each TCU, raising student scholarship funds and strengthening these institutions as they “revitalize their sovereign tribal nation’s languages, cultures, and spiritual practices by educating the next generation of leaders.” This week, in response to the flurry of Executive Orders issued by President Donald Trump, Cheryl Crazy Bull, the president and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, released a statement clarifying the nature of EOs and their implications for Native higher education. Given the confusion surrounding EOs, her remarks provide critical insight into their legal standing and potential impact on TCUs.
Crazy Bull explained that EOs are “written directives, signed by the President,” instructing agencies within the Executive Branch to initiate or end specific actions. However, she emphasized that EOs “cannot contradict or violate the Constitution, federal laws, or the fundamental rights of American citizens.”
The American Civil Liberties Union agrees, noting, “The Constitution has a set of checks and balances written into it so that no one branch of the government is more powerful. The president can’t use an executive order to sidestep those checks and balances, and the president can’t take over powers from other branches, such as the power vested in Congress to pass new statutes or in the courts to invalidate certain laws as unconstitutional.”
Since being inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2025, Trump has signed over 65 EOs, many of which have broad and concerning implications for various communities. Crazy Bull warned that “many of the recent and potential executive orders could have sweeping, negative impacts on Native education.” She stressed, “Programs serving tribal citizens should be exempt from the EOs, which are directed at diversity, equity, inclusive and accessibility programs; environmental justice; and restricting the federal workforce due to the treaty and trust obligations of the federal government. Yet the threat remains.” She offered, as an example, the possible eradication of the Department of Education, which “could mean the reduction or loss of Title I funding to high-poverty areas. Eliminating the DoE could also end programs that create new teachers for Native school systems.”
EOs not only attempt to make policy but are also used to reverse existing policies. Trump rescinded a previous EO, effectively dismantling the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Native Americans and Strengthening Tribal Colleges and Universities. The Initiative’s website now simply reads “Page Not Found.” According to Crazy Bull, this action “terminated a valuable resource that focused federal agencies’ attention on the priorities and needs of Native education.”
While EOs can have significant effects, they are not absolute. The Campaign Legal Center notes that EOs are subject to judicial review, and Congress can pass laws to override them. As Crazy Bull emphasized, “The federal government has trust and treaty obligations that supersede EOs. All branches of the government must adhere to treaties and trusts when working with Tribes.”
Federal funding related to tribal programs originates from trusts and treaties. From Crazy Bull’s perspective, “It is critical that politicians and justices be aware of these government-to-government relationships and the importance of adhering to trust and treaty agreements.”
Most tribal communities established TCUs to provide tribal members with “affordable, accredited, and culturally based higher education.” Crazy Bull stated, “Tribal colleges are often the only option for higher education in remote, rural areas. These open-enrollment institutions offer affordable higher education to all, producing skilled graduates trained to meet the needs of their local workforce.”
The 34 accredited TCUs educate nearly 22,000 students annually across 13 states. They provide trade certification, workforce education, and associate degrees, with some expanding to offer more advanced degrees. At their core, TCUs are more than just institutions of higher learning — they foster cultural preservation and self-determination. The question remains: Will the government uphold its obligations to tribal nations, or will federal policy undermine the educational foundations of Indigenous communities? The answer will determine the future of TCUs and the broader principles of justice and equity in U.S. education.