American Indian College Fund Honors 2025-26 Tribal College Students of the Year and Coca-Cola Scholars
Denver, Colo., March 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Indian College Fund (College Fund) held a ceremony on Sunday, March 15, in Bismarck, N.D. to honor the 2025-26 Tribal College and University Students of the Year and Coca-Cola First Generation Scholars. Held as part of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium’s 2026 Student Conference, this event also honored Tribal College and University President Honoree of the Year, Dr. Leander “Russ” McDonald of United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck.
The Adolph Coors Foundation sponsors both the Tribal College and University Students of the Year and the Tribal College and University President Honoree of the Year. Every year, each of the 34 tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) selects one student to represent their university, with students receiving a $1,200 scholarship. The TCU President Honoree, selected by the College Fund, receives a $1,200 honorarium.
The Coca-Cola Foundation awards 36 Native scholars, with at least one scholar from each of the 34 partner TCUs, who are the first in their family to attend college. Awardees receive $5,000 per academic year and may reapply for the scholarship each year if they maintain a 3.0 grade point average and are active in campus and community life. The Coca-Cola Foundation has awarded more than $4 million in scholarship support to the College Fund since 1990.
Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, said, “We always look forward to taking this time to honor the students representing our tribal colleges and universities and their classmates. They are living out the values and visions of our TCUs, determined to obtain a higher education and dedicated to using their knowledge and skills to build better futures for their communities.”
2025-26 Tribal College Students of the Year Are:
2025-26 Coca-Cola First Generation Scholars Are:
About the American Indian College Fund — The American Indian College Fund has been the nation’s largest charity supporting Native higher education for 37 years. The College Fund believes “Education is the answer” and provided more than $23 million in scholarships and other student support for higher education in 2024-25. Since its founding in 1989 the College Fund has provided more than $391 million in scholarships, programs, community, and tribal college support. The College Fund also supports a variety of programs at the nation’s 35 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which are located on or near Indian reservations, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers. The College Fund consistently receives top ratings from independent charity evaluators. It earned a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, a Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid (Guidestar), and the “Best in America Seal of Excellence” from the Independent Charities of America. The College Fund was also named as one of the nation’s top 100 charities to the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit collegefund.org.
Journalists—The American Indian College Fund does not use the acronym AICF. On second reference, please use the College Fund.
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