Pell Grants send thousands of lower-income students to college each year across America. However, proposed changes could lower that number drastically, often in the communities that need it most, including those on tribal lands.

Proposed Trump administration changes could slash Pell Grant funding by as much as a quarter. report saysIn a tribal setting like the Pine Ridge Reservation, that represents well over 60% of students reliant on Pell Grant support.

Oglala Lakota College president Dawn Frank says it would devastate tribal colleges, and their students, across America.

“These proposed changes are extremely concerning because raising the full-time credit requirements and excluding less than part time students would disproportionately harm (tribal colleges and universities)," Frank said. "Part-time TCU Pell recipients see substantial increases in certificate and degree completion rates. That’s something we’re looking at that’s across the board for TCUs.”

A ProPublica report stated the cuts would put many tribal schools at risk of closing.

Frank said TCUs offer nearly a $90 million economic impact to South Dakota alone when accounting for jobs, workforce development, and education.

While contingencies do exist at Oglala Lakota College, Frank is concerned about the worst coming to pass with an associated loss of students.

“Losing that would mean everyone would have to take a step back," Frank said. "If we’re not producing graduates to continue to work in those positions, I could see a lot of hardships. Look at coupling it with financial necessity amid rising inflation, affordable childcare, transportation especially in our rural area. The strain, we said, would almost cripple or close us.”

Frank is calling upon tribal leaders to advocate for their tribal colleges and universities to statewide DC delegations, and specifically asked South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson and Sens. John Thune and Mike Rounds to champion the issue.