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- By Native News Online Staff
The American Indian College Fund is offering a free resource designed to support Native students on their journey to higher education. Titled “Native Pathways: A College-Going Guidebook,” the publication is available for download on the College Fund’s website. It covers a wide range of topics including how to choose the right college, navigate financial aid, build a support network, and understand key academic terms.
The guide also features inspiration and advice from elders, faculty, and American Indian College Fund President and CEO, Cheryl Crazy Bull.
Printed versions of the guide will be distributed to Higher Pathways partner programs in high schools throughout Indian Country.
Recognizing that many American Indian and Alaska Native students are non-traditional—having earned a GED or returning to school after time in the workforce or raising a family—the guidebook is designed to support learners at any stage in life. It helps students identify programs that meet their individual needs and encourages self-advocacy on campus. A central message of the guide is the importance of staying grounded in one’s culture and community while pursuing academic goals.
The publication also includes personal stories from current and former College Fund scholars who share their educational journeys.
For instance, Jerald Redbuffalo (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate), a master’s student in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Capella University, shared:“I needed a college setting that would allow me to balance my education with my family, spiritual practices, and cultural traditions. Staying close to home meant I could pursue my degree without sacrificing the things that are most important to me.”
Elder Lark Real Bird (Apsaalooke Nation) offered encouragement to students preparing to use the guidebook:“I would like to express the excitement I have for each one of you as you embark on this wonderful journey. The new knowledge that you will gain from your classes and your peers will be lifelong. With this knowledge you will have a seat at many tables to address issues and concerns for your Tribes, your communities, and your families.”
Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, emphasized the guidebook’s role in opening doors for Native students: “Many Native students, may not have had their high schools introduce them to college. Maybe we didn’t have someone in our family who went to college who could help us figure out how to go. Some of us might not have finished high school so we thought we didn’t have a path to college. This guidebook will help introduce college-going opportunities to you, can take the place of that family member or friend who could have advised you, and will show you a path to college that overcomes obstacles. We all want the best for each of you.”
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