Native American College Fair

“I really like how there is so many things to do and how much effort you guys put into this because it came out so awesome and educational.”

Did you know...

• 24% of Native American students enroll with a post-secondary institution.
• 14.5% of the American Indian and Alaska Native population earned a bachelor’s degree or higher.
• 90% of Native American students require financial aid to attend college.

  
  

The Native American College Fair is an annual event that strives to increase Native student access and enrollment at college/technical college.  Our fair encourages Native youth to explore future possibilities to sustain and elevate their communities.  

This free event hosts post-secondary opportunities and resources from around the country to our Twin Cities Native youth.  Students have meaningful conversations with representatives about college life, admissions, and Native supports on campus.  We also provide a platform for current college students and Native professionals to share their educational journey with students.

“Variety in the fair was great! Not just 4 year colleges and universities was great to see. Kids have many different visions and to see ALL of the options is wonderful!”

In 2015, SPPS Indian Education's School Counselor, Kerrie Troseth, joined the Native American College Fair planning committee to ensure that SPPS American Indian students had access to culturally-supportive colleges for future planning.  SPPS has supported this annual event through financial means and resources, according to grant allocations and SPPS Achieves Strategic Planning.

“I like how there were many different schools to that we could look at. I also liked how they had college students telling us stuff from their experiences and the advice they gave for people my age was really helpful.”

While this event is free for students, Indian Education programs, and school districts, we do have expenses that are not met through traditional educational funding.   In 2022, our event hosted over 600 Native youth, college representatives, community members, and volunteers.  An event this size take countless hours of planning and volunteering. Donations will support our work to bring our Native youth a culturally relevant experience to support both them and our communities.