Senators announce $10 million for three Montana tribal colleges

Grants will go to Blackfeet, Fort Belknap, Little Big Horn

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) Montana's U.S. Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester today announced several grants, worth $10 million, to help students at three tribal colleges across the state.

The three grants are part of the Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities Program, through the U.S. Department of Education. The program provides grants to eligible colleges, enabling them to improve academic quality, management and fiscal stability, and increase self-sufficiency.

The three Montana tribal colleges receiving grants are:

• Blackfeet Community College – $3 million per year for the next two years. The college will use the money to build a 'green' math and science building with a classroom, labs, and office space.
• Fort Belknap College  – $1.5 million per year for the next two years. The college will build a community workforce training center. The facility will house a building trades center, a computer-aided design (CAD) laboratory, and classrooms.
• Little Big Horn College – $500,000 per year for the next two years. The college will build a Health and Wellness Center Building. The facility will offer fitness and wellness activities and courses.

"Building these new facilities will not only benefit the students but it will also provide good-paying construction jobs," Baucus said. "From wellness to academics to construction trades, these grants are creating spaces for students to grow and thrive."

"These three buildings will be valuable assets to the colleges," said Tester, a member of the Senate's Indian Affairs Committee. "New buildings provide hope and opportunity for future students and it's why Max and I work so hard for Indian education in the U.S. Senate."

The grants will be awarded through the U.S. Department of Education.