Montana is home to seven tribal colleges — more than any other state. Those schools serve thousands of students and generate more than $300 million in income for Montana workers, according to a 2025 report.
All the same, the leaders of those schools recently told lawmakers they’re operating on “shoestrings” and trying to navigate an unpredictable funding environment. Blackfeet Community College president Brad Hall said worry is trickling down to students and staff.
“They’re asking, ‘Are you going to be open? Am I going to be able to finish my degree?’ From a faculty, staff standpoint: ‘Am I going to have job security? Do I have to look to move?’” Hall said. “A lot of what we’re dealing with right now is people’s scarcity of basic need.”
Tribal colleges get nearly three-quarters of their funding from the federal government, according to the American Council on Education. But the schools have been underfunded for decades, and President Donald Trump’s proposed budget would wipe out most of what’s left. Schools nationwide have said that could force them to close.
That budget will likely change if it moves through Congress. But Montana’s tribal college leaders say they’re not waiting around. They hope to build private partnerships and strengthen ties with the state. Lawmakers last year voted to increase funding for non-native students at the schools; Native students are covered at the federal level.
