Roger Brandner, thanks very much.

you.

>> In northern Wisconsin, the state's two tribal colleges stand to lose more than half of their federal funding if Congress approves President Trump's 2026 budget next month.

Here and now.

Reporter Eric Ayisi traveled to one of the colleges, Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University in Hayward, where they say they are devastated but working with their tribal leaders and Congress to maintain their funding levels.

This report is in collaboration with Icct, formerly Indian Country Today.

>> Oscar Reo is a freshman education major at the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe also an enrolled member of the Sainte Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

Gingrich Gaza.

to teach Ojibwe and Native American language.

>> I'm excited.

I think I'll get there pretty quickly here.

There's a lot of people that are good teachers and a lot of people that speak Ojibwa here.

staff at tribal institutions like Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University are facing a massive federal threat this October under President Donald Trump's 2020 budget proposal, leaving Reo educational goals ambiguous.

>> I don't know about my ability to continue, but I think there's a lot of progress that's trying to be made here, especially within the language program that hopefully doesn't get halted because of it.

>> The Trump administration is requesting $22 million for post-secondary Indian education programs, compared to $191 million requested for 2025.

Karen Breit, interim president of the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University, says federal funding is the university's major operating resource.

>> Over 80% of our funding comes from federal funds.

>> How will the university survive?

>> We're working on different initiatives with our government on that side of generating different, different revenue for the institution.

university is looking to the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe Tribal Nation and other donors for support, but challenges with the Department of Education persist.

>> We're the department administers our ability to access federal funds right now.

We're having some struggles with that.

>> Gabbard Wiggins NewsHour.

>> They are also struggling to keep university staff on to address student advisory jobs eliminated by the Doe like academic coaches.

>> The institution is working to to figure out a plan to to keep some of the coaches with us so that they can continue to do the work.

>> Breit says the increase in credit hours for Pell Grant eligibility could affect half of the student population, who also work part time.

requirement would really have a huge impact on their ability to to afford school.

>> 70% of the students here are Native American.

The United States has a federal trust responsibility to provide support for Native Americans in exchange for their land.

>> It is an obligation.

It is an in the treaties.

It is in writing and a promise that was made.

And education is part of that promise.

administration aiming to cut at least 80% of funding to the Bureau of Indian Education for 2026.

The impact will be felt here on campus and in the surrounding community.

>> Tribal communities are often in rural areas, remote areas of the country, and so having access to higher education within within your home community is tremendous for for tribal people.

>> The House Subcommittee on Appropriations approved $1.5 billion for the Bureau of Indian Education in July.

However, those funds were not specified for tribal colleges and universities.

>> No vowels are Teigen none.

academic year with a potentially massive federal funding reduction lurking in Congress.

>> They're trying to start new programs and new hire, new teachers and everything.

And hopefully that doesn't get messed with.

>> Reporting from the Lac Courte Oreilles reservation.

Courte Oreilles reservation.