TCUs enroll approximately 30,000 students each year, including some non-Native students. The median annual tuition at TCUs is US$3,572, making them more affordable than most other public universities.
By far, one of the best things about TCU’s is that they are, historically, heavily subsidized by the federal government and the tribe’s themselves. Things may change, though, forcing tribes to foot most or all of the bill. Education costs in America are ridiculous and getting worse, but small colleges like TCU’s and even local community colleges help reverse the trend with quality education at a much cheaper rate.
But I’ve never been a fan of siloing oneself from other people, which is a common argument for TCU’s and is found in this article:
These students and their families also feared that higher education could force them to assimilate into Western and white culture, and erase their own Native traditions and languages.
There’s a place for both to co-exist, and, yes, it is difficult but not impossible. Assimilation worries aside (not counting all of the ways that Native youth are already assimilated into American or “white” culture), the general nature of interaction with others who are very dissimilar to you breeds plenty of opportunities for growth and understanding, something that is lost in never leaving the comfort of your reservation. Sure, bad experiences also happen, however, those experiences also develop us in good ways.
I’m a fan of TCU’s as a starting point to a great education and life. I’m also a fan of exploring the world and taking chances in experiencing the good and bad of humanity.
