This summer, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) will be hosting students from Fort Lewis College — a Native American-serving, non-tribal institution in Colorado. The goal is to make graduate school accessible to Indigenous students.
Native American students face multiple obstacles when it comes to obtaining higher education, including a lack of financial resources and intergenerational trauma.
"We know that annually less than 1% of the PhDs awarded go to Native American students," said Tammi Tiger, a citizen of the Choctaw Nation and a descendant of Muscogee and Seminole nations. She's also the founding director of UNLV's tribal education initiative.
Tiger connected with Fort Lewis College to develop a partnership. It allows Fort Lewis students to visit Las Vegas and get hands-on exposure to UNLV's STEM labs and the school's hospitality program.
"We're building out a pathway to PhD programs because it became evident there were no Native American scholars in this area, specifically gaming and hospitality, which is one of our primary economic drivers across Indian country," Tiger said.
UNLV will be welcoming the first set of visiting students this June.
Copyright 2026 KNPR News