Indian tribes, schools and state and local agencies that serve Indian children will share nearly $105 million in grants to improve education opportunities for nearly half a million Indian students, U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige said today.

"The U.S. Department of Education recognizes and reaffirms the special relationship of the federal government to American Indians and their sovereign tribal nations, and we renew our commitment to educational excellence and opportunity for American Indian and Alaska Native children," Secretary Paige said. "President Bush believes every child should have access to a high-quality education, and that American Indian children are no exception."

On behalf of Secretary Paige, Office of Indian Education Director Vicki Vasques made the announcement during a meeting of tribal college presidents sponsored by the White House Initiative for Tribal Colleges and Universities.

Today's grant announcement includes $5 million in competitive grants for professional development, college preparation, and early childhood education, and nearly $100 million in formula grants to help 1,200 local education agencies improve the education opportunities for approximately 470,000 Indian students.

Activities funded by the grants may include services to students from preschool to high school in areas such as family-based preschool; partnerships between schools and universities to assist and encourage students in transitioning from high school to college; enrichment programs to increase Indian children's achievement in one or more core academic subjects; programs to increase the rate of secondary school graduation; programs that preserve and teach the native language and culture; and programs to increase the number of new, highly qualified Indian individuals in professions that serve Indian people. Individuals who receive training under the Professional Development Program are required to perform work that is related to the training received and that benefits Indian people, or else they are required to repay all or a prorated part of the assistance received.

President Bush created the White House Initiative on Tribal Colleges and Universities in July 2002 to ensure that the nation's 34 Tribal Colleges and Universities are more fully recognized and have full access to federal programs that benefit other postsecondary institutions.

Tribal colleges and universities serve more than 30,000 full-time and part-time students and offer vocational certificate programs and associate, bachelor's and master's degrees. These institutions are often the only postsecondary institutions in some of our nation's poorest rural areas and serve a variety of people, including young adults, senior citizens, American Indians and non-American Indians.

President Bush's 2004 budget proposal includes a 5 percent increase for tribal colleges and universities, bringing the total requested amount to $19 million. The president has proposed funding increases for these programs for the past two fiscal years.

More information about the White House Initiative on Tribal Colleges and Universities is available at http://www.ed.gov/about/inits/list/whtc/edlite-index.html.

More information about Indian education grants is available from the Office of Indian Education at http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/oie/contacts.html.

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New Indian Education Discretionary Grants for 2003

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