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American Indian College Fund Celebrates 20 Years of Service for American Indian Students and Tribal Colleges

Posted on: Tuesday, 6 January 2009, 07:00 CST

DENVER, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Indian College Fund (the Fund), the premier scholarship organization for American Indian students, marks its 20th anniversary in 2009.

The Fund was created in 1989 by the tribal colleges and universities and private partners to raise scholarship funds and funding for America's tribal colleges. The first tribal college was Dine College, founded as Navajo Community College, in 1968. Today there are 32 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which serve college students and provide much-needed services to American Indian communities. Tribal colleges are the conduits of health education and disease prevention, serve as daycare and health centers, provide libraries and computer centers, provide indigenous research and language preservation classes to the community, and are the hub of activities and lifelong learning.

The Fund has raised millions of dollars for scholarships and capital funding for campus infrastructure in its mission, and last year awarded nearly 4,000 scholarships to American Indian students to encourage students to remain in college, complete a college degree and build a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities.

To commemorate its milestone and the 40th anniversary of tribal colleges in 2008, the Fund, along with the internationally acclaimed and award-winning advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy, is rolling out its new public service announcement campaign, titled THINK INDIAN. The THINK INDIAN campaign tells the story of how tribal colleges and American Indian students are using traditional solutions to solve modern-day problems.

"The American Indian College Fund is the leading provider of scholarships to American Indian people," Richard B. Williams, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, said. "By providing the means to get an education with the help of our loyal donors, we provide Native people hope for a better future. In these economic times hope is more important than ever to American Indians, who have historically been the poorest Americans and continue to be so."

About the American Indian College Fund

With its credo "Educating the Mind and Spirit," the Denver-based American Indian College Fund is the nation's largest provider of private scholarships for American Indian students providing more than 6,000 scholarships annually for students seeking to better their lives and communities through education at the nation's 32 accredited tribal colleges and universities. For more information about the American Indian College Fund or to make a donation, visit www.collegefund.org.

SOURCE American Indian College Fund

Source: PR Newswire

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