Empowering Tribal Students; Engagement and Enrollment Strategies
13th June 2024
Minneapolis, MN – Diné College representatives attended the Cultivating Native Student Success Convening hosted by the American Indian College Fund. The staff and members met to strengthen relationships with partners, collaboratively envision future initiatives, share experiences, and deepen their understanding of the Native student journey and strategic enrollment management within Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs).
“The convening was beneficial for the Diné College Cultivating Native Student Success Committee. We collaborated to share best practices with tribal colleges and universities to serve our current and future students by enhancing holistic support systems, dual credit opportunities, navigating data management, and fostering collaboration for a systematic enrollment management team” stated Winifred Jumbo, External Campus Director, Diné College.”
Tiffany Gusbeth, Vice President of Student Success Services at the American Indian College Fund and a citizen of the Northern Cheyenne Nation, is leading efforts to enhance support systems and strategies for Native student success. Under her leadership, her team oversees scholarships, college access, career readiness, student engagement, strategic enrollment management, and the development of comprehensive organizational, student, and program management databases.
“Financial aid, college access, and Native student success are areas where we must excel to ensure our students thrive in post-secondary environments,” said Gusbeth.”
One significant challenge highlighted by Gusbeth is the complex nature of the application process for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). “Last year, the Department of Education aimed to simplify FAFSA to make it more accessible for students and families,” she explained. “However, the application process remains challenging, with issues such as erroneous financial data and delayed award letters continuing to demotivate students.”
A recent study by the Federal Student Aid Administrators revealed that over 50% of financial aid administrators are seeking other employment due to these ongoing challenges. The impact is even more pronounced among Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), where student engagement is crucial.
“We found that as of May 31, only 43% of high school seniors had completed the FAFSA, a 13% decrease from last year,” Gusbeth noted. “The lack of specific data on American Indian students is particularly concerning. We need to monitor this closely and continue the dialogue within our communities.”
Gusbeth emphasized the importance of early FAFSA completion in boosting enrollment and success rates. “We need to ensure students complete their FAFSA and enroll immediately after high school to increase their likelihood of graduating.”
“University college degree attainment is of value, when we look at the TCU across the nation we are seeing a steady increase at the moment, and you’re doing something right” stated Gusbeth in a closing statement.”
