Northwest Indian College faculty lead on-campus instruction during the pandemic. Following the Lummi Nation’s tribal health policies, masks were required during peak waves of infection.

Throughout the pandemic, tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) experienced unique challenges coupled with the everyday struggles of one of the greatest public health crises impacting Indian Country since the Columbian exchange. Our institutions navigated the loss of gathering with the deeply connected communities we have built on our campuses. Despite the challenges to provide culturally relevant instruction in a COVID-era educational landscape, TCUs remained consistent, showing up for students and yet again demonstrating the resiliency of tribal communities and institutions.

For Northwest Indian College (NWIC), after the initial and quick pivot to distance learning, the college rolled out big ideas with the help of federal emergency relief funds and grants, collectively known as CARES Act funding. Using these grants and funds, NWIC placed the focus on the following priorities: 1) student recruitment and retention, 2) teaching and learning, 3) campus health and safety, and 4) institutional operations. A number of projects and initiatives were put forth such as discharging student debt, the NWIC Student Emergency Fund, institutional improvements, food security, technology, expanded student services, and additional student support positions.

CARES Act funding allowed the college to grow in its affordability. By June 2022, emergency student aid awarded a total of $1.2 million in direct relief to students. In addition to addressing student debt, CARES supported the college in offering tuition-free summers, 50% off tuition during academic year 2022-2023, and 25% off tuition through the 2023-2024 academic year. In conjunction with many other capacity-growing efforts, the tuition waivers strongly contributed to an 18.5% boost in enrollment. By fall 2023, the college reached a record number of enrolled students.

To expand on the growth of distance learning, NWIC prioritized the quality of virtual pedagogy. Upgrades to technology and software made classes more convenient. Tools for learning accommodations increased student access. The college also recognized that expanding online learning allowed for the flexibility students need to fit school into their daily lives. These improvements were necessary for any modern college student, but especially students like ours: nation builders who work, take care of children and parents, participate in cultural activities, lead their people, and promote Indigenous self-determination and knowledge every day.

Outside of the classroom, NWIC launched programs with an increased focus on wellness, including an Indigenous-focused mental healthcare provider and paid wellness days for staff. The NWIC Community Food Pantry—launched by CARES funds and sustained through local partnerships—provided 1,200 meal kits in 2023 alone.

As the college looked to address needs for socially distant classroom and office space, CARES Act funding allowed for the purchase of modular buildings and supplemented construction, paving the way toward the completion of long-awaited projects in the campus’ master plan. These buildings are now invaluable assets as in-person classes and activities return. In November 2023, along with NWIC’s sister TCUs, the college attended a strategic enrollment management (SEM) conference.

In an exercise with our peers, we discussed our TCU’s strengths and areas of improvement, lessons learned from the pandemic and solved problems collaboratively. Following the conference, the NWIC SEM team debriefed and found there was a common thread woven into all of our TCUs’ success throughout the pandemic. While on the surface it seemed like pandemic-related funding was the answer, at the root it was our resiliency.

“The lesson learned—trust us,” we said in our Zoom meeting. We know our students and communities best. We know what we can do with enough resources. We have proven time and time again how resilient tribal colleges are.

As the SEM team discusses weekly the growth of the college, they are often tasked with reflecting on the pandemic and with answering the questions all colleges are facing—what now and what next? While the college is incredibly grateful for CARES Act funding, at the core of the last four years of NWIC’s success is the institution’s ability to continue its commitment to students, the tribes served, and the advancement of tribal sovereignty for the protection and enhancement of Native homelands and future generations. NWIC is successful thanks to its faculty and staff for their dedication and its students who bravely embarked on a journey into higher education during a time of exceptional uncertainty. We are successful thanks to our resiliency.