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National Native Scholarship Providers as Research and Data Partners: A Case Study in Advancing Evidence-Based Support for Indigenous College Student Outcomes

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Title: National Native Scholarship Providers as Research and Data Partners: A Case Study in Advancing Evidence-Based Support for Indigenous College Student Outcomes
Language: English
Authors: Johnny Poolaw, David Sanders, John L. Garland
Source: New Directions for Student Services. 2025 (192):39-46.
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 8
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: College Students, American Indian Students, Alaska Natives, Scholarships, Consortia, Access to Education, Higher Education, Paying for College, Sense of Belonging, Academic Persistence, Barriers, American Indian Education, Educational Research
DOI: 10.1002/ss.70036
ISSN: 0164-7970
1536-0695
Abstract: American Indian and Alaska Native students remain largely invisible in national higher education research datasets, limiting institutions' ability to design effective recruitment, retention, and completion strategies. In response, the four largest Native scholarship organizations in the United States--the Cobell Scholarship Program, American Indian College Fund, AISES, and Native Forward--formed the National Native Scholarship Providers (NNSP), a collaborative research and data partnership addressing evidence gaps in Indigenous college access, affordability, belonging, and persistence. This article presents a case study of NNSP's interorganizational research collaboration. The consortium's first national mixed-methods study examined Indigenous college affordability with participation from all four organizations. Subsequent sense of belonging and campus climate research was conducted through partnership among the Cobell Scholarship Program, AISES, and the College Fund, illustrating an adaptive collaboration model responsive to organizational capacity and evolving research priorities. Across studies, NNSP employs nationally representative surveys and Indigenous qualitative methodologies such as sharing circles, guided by Indigenous Data Sovereignty and CARE principles. Findings identify systemic barriers in higher education and institutional practices that foster Indigenous student success. This case study demonstrates how Native-centered, higher education-adjacent organizations can lead ethical, evidence-based research agendas that many institutions have been unable to undertake independently, offering a replicable model for addressing Indigenous student invisibility in higher education data.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1502557
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: National Native Scholarship Providers as Research and Data Partners: A Case Study in Advancing Evidence-Based Support for Indigenous College Student Outcomes
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Johnny+Poolaw%22">Johnny Poolaw</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22David+Sanders%22">David Sanders</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22John+L%2E+Garland%22">John L. Garland</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22New+Directions+for+Student+Services%22"><i>New Directions for Student Services</i></searchLink>. 2025 (192):39-46.
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Students%22">College Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22American+Indian+Students%22">American Indian Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Alaska+Natives%22">Alaska Natives</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Scholarships%22">Scholarships</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Consortia%22">Consortia</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Access+to+Education%22">Access to Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Paying+for+College%22">Paying for College</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sense+of+Belonging%22">Sense of Belonging</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Academic+Persistence%22">Academic Persistence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Barriers%22">Barriers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22American+Indian+Education%22">American Indian Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Research%22">Educational Research</searchLink>
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  Data: American Indian and Alaska Native students remain largely invisible in national higher education research datasets, limiting institutions' ability to design effective recruitment, retention, and completion strategies. In response, the four largest Native scholarship organizations in the United States--the Cobell Scholarship Program, American Indian College Fund, AISES, and Native Forward--formed the National Native Scholarship Providers (NNSP), a collaborative research and data partnership addressing evidence gaps in Indigenous college access, affordability, belonging, and persistence. This article presents a case study of NNSP's interorganizational research collaboration. The consortium's first national mixed-methods study examined Indigenous college affordability with participation from all four organizations. Subsequent sense of belonging and campus climate research was conducted through partnership among the Cobell Scholarship Program, AISES, and the College Fund, illustrating an adaptive collaboration model responsive to organizational capacity and evolving research priorities. Across studies, NNSP employs nationally representative surveys and Indigenous qualitative methodologies such as sharing circles, guided by Indigenous Data Sovereignty and CARE principles. Findings identify systemic barriers in higher education and institutional practices that foster Indigenous student success. This case study demonstrates how Native-centered, higher education-adjacent organizations can lead ethical, evidence-based research agendas that many institutions have been unable to undertake independently, offering a replicable model for addressing Indigenous student invisibility in higher education data.
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      – SubjectFull: Paying for College
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      – SubjectFull: Sense of Belonging
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