Supporting Native American & Indigenous Students

Enrollment, Retention & Graduation

  • The six-year graduation rate for Native American, Indigenous and Alaska Native undergraduate students who enrolled at Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder in fall 2017 and graduated in 2023 or earlier was 63%, a total of 107 students.
  • Of the 132 Native American, Indigenous and Alaska Native students who enrolled at Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder in 2022 – 85% returned to campus for their second year of college.
  • Of the 7,546 first-year undergraduate students enrolled at Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder in fall 2023 – 1.5%, or a total of 110 students, were Native American, Indigenous and Alaska Native students.
  • In 2022, enrollment for incoming, first-year Native American and Indigenous students was 1.9%, a total of 134 students, which is an increase from the 1.2%, or 79 first-year students who enrolled in 2021.
  • The enrollment increase in 2022 is attributed to the adoption of the Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ American Indian Tribes In-State Tuition Act.
  • Signed into law on June 28, 2021, the Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ American Indian Tribes In-State Tuition Act enables registered members of federally recognized tribes with historical ties to Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ to apply for in-state tuition rates based on a new residency exception.

Find more information about the Fall 2023 Census and other student data on the Office of Data Analytics website.

Financial Aid & Affordability

  • Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder disbursed more than $183 million in financial aid to 12,339 resident undergraduate students in 2022-23, including 151 Native American or Indigenous students.
  • Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder disbursed $157 million in financial aid awards to 6,982 nonresident undergraduate students in 2022-23, including 109 Native American or Indigenous students.
  • Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder offers in-state tuition to resident and nonresident students who are members of one of the 48 tribes with historical and present ties to Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ.
  • The Southern Ute tribe and the federal Department of Education revived a partnership in 2023 that will fund annual tuition and mandatory fees for up to four Southern Ute students starting in the fall of 2023. Under the agreement, Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder will cover tuition and fees for some future students.
  • A limited number of Native American and Indigenous scholarships are available to academically promising, new first-year students who are members of federally recognized tribes.
  • The is awarded to undergraduate students with a preference given to members of federally recognized Native American and Indigenous tribes.

Find more information about scholarships, grants, work-study and other financial aid on the websites of the Office of Financial Aid and the Center for Inclusion and Social Change.

Precollege Support

The Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder Office of Precollege Outreach and Engagement supported 4,247 Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ middle and high school students between 2017 and 2022, introducing them to academic communities and practices that will help them succeed at Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder or at another academic institution in Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ or beyond.

  • Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Upward Bound, the only program of its kind nationwide, supported 250 high school students from Native American/Indigenous communities in Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ and in four surrounding states between 2017 and 2022; 98% identified as first-generation students and 100% identified as Native American and Indigenous.
  • Precollegiate Development supported 1,850 Denver-area middle and high school students between 2017 and 2022, and 2% identified as Native American and Indigenous.
  • Precollege Bridge program supported 127 Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ students who participated in a precollege program and chose to attend Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder between 2017 and 2022, and 3% identified as Native American and Indigenous.

Find more information about precollege programming on the Office of Precollege Outreach and Engagement website.

Academic Support, Affinity & Belonging

Find more information about building community and a sense of belonging among students on the websites of Student Affairs, CNAIS and the Center for Inclusion and Social Change.