Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College

What Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College does

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College (FDLTCC) is a public two-year community college and tribal college located in Cloquet, Minnesota, chartered by the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and created by the Minnesota Legislature in 1987. It operates as a member of the Minnesota State system (33 colleges and universities serving 300,000+ students) and serves the Fond du Lac Reservation, Cloquet, and residents of Carlton and southern St. Louis counties. Its student base spans four hybrid segments: Indigenous/Native American students, high school dual-enrollment students (PSEO/College in the Schools), adult learners and community members, and veterans. The institution employs 51-100 staff at the campus level (the 15,300+ figure reflects the entire Minnesota State system).

The academic portfolio centers on associate degrees across roughly 15 disciplines (including American Indian Studies, Anishinaabeg Gikendaasowinan, Nursing, Environmental Science, Geographic Information Systems, Criminal Justice, and Liberal Arts transfer) plus nine certificate and diploma programs. Underlying technology is largely licensed third-party infrastructure — D2L Brightspace LMS, Nuventive assessment software, ETS exit exams, and library databases (ProQuest, Kanopy, Films On Demand) — supplemented by specialized instructional tooling such as industry-standard GIS software (GPS, remote sensing, drones) and Read&Write/TextHelp literacy support. Its principal differentiated asset is the WINHEC-accredited Anishinaabeg Gikendaasowinan program embedding Ojibwe-Anishinaabe cultural knowledge, alongside an Environmental Institute that runs grant-funded research with partners including NASA, USDA, UMD, and the University of Illinois.

As a public institution, FDLTCC does not operate on a profit model. Revenue mechanics combine per-credit tuition and fees (with senior-citizen waivers at $15/credit and free tuition for eligible Minnesota residents via North Star Promise), State of Minnesota appropriations through the Minnesota State system, tribal college charter funding from the Fond du Lac Band, and competitive federal grants — notably a $500,000 USDA NIFA grant (2021) and a $9,000,000 USDA NextGen grant co-awarded with Leech Lake Tribal College (2023). Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer and community-led: online and in-person admissions, campus tours, dual-enrollment high school partnerships, and community outreach through the Environmental Institute, Seek to Learn Academy, and Ojibwe cultural programming.

Name

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College

Legal name

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College

Website

https://fdltcc.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

A public two-year tribal and community college in Cloquet, Minnesota, chartered by the Fond du Lac Band and part of the Minnesota State system, offering associate degrees, certificates, and Ojibwe cultural and environmental programs to Indigenous students, adult learners, dual-enrollment high schoolers, and veterans.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community College Education

NAICS

Junior Colleges (6112), American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal Governments (921150)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Community/Tribal Two-Year Colleges (Associate Degree–Granting) (EDAHANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tribal Land-Grant Institutions (1994 Land-Grant TCUs) (EDAHANAC), Tribal Teacher Education & Indigenous Language Colleges (Educator Prep/Language Revitalization) (EDAHANAG), Tribal Arts, Culture & Heritage Colleges (Arts/Media/Cultural Preservation Focus) (EDAHANAH)

Keywords

• Tribal college education
• Associate degree programs
• Community college certificates
• Workforce development training
• Indigenous higher education

Headquarters

HQ city

Cloquet

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Per-credit tuition and fees charged to students; reduced rates for senior citizens (62+) at $15/credit for credit courses; audit rates same as credit-seeking for tuition
2. Government Funding: State of Minnesota funding; part of Minnesota State system; tribal college charter funding from Fond du Lac Band
3. USDA Grants: Federal grants from USDA including Inflation Reduction Act investments for agricultural education programs; $262.5M national investment in higher education for diverse agricultural professionals
4. USDA NextGen Grant: $9,000,000 grant awarded in June 2023 to FDLTCC and Leech Lake College for From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agricultural Professionals Program
5. USDA NIFA Area of Expertise Grant: $500,000 grant awarded to FDLTCC Environmental Institute in 2021 supporting expansion of research partnerships and student research experiences

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College is a public two-year tribal and community college that delivers associate degrees, certificates, and diplomas across liberal arts, sciences, healthcare, business, criminal justice, environmental science, and Indigenous-focused disciplines. It serves the Fond du Lac Reservation, Cloquet community, and Carlton and southern St. Louis counties in Minnesota, with on-campus instruction, online courses via D2L Brightspace, and dual enrollment partnerships with area high schools. As a tribal college chartered by the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and member of the Minnesota State system, it integrates Ojibwe-Anishinaabe cultural values and language preservation into its academic offerings.

Product overview

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College offers a unified educational services portfolio centered on its degree and certificate programs. The core academic offerings include associate degrees across 15 disciplines (American Indian Studies, Anishinaabeg Gikendaasowinan, Biology, Business, Education, Health Sciences, Criminal Justice, Multimedia Production, Fine Arts, Child Development, Environmental Science, GIS, Nursing, Liberal Arts, Human Services) and 9 certificate/diploma programs. Supporting these academic offerings are specialized programs including the Environmental Institute (research, sustainability, agriculture), Student Support Services (library, advising, accessibility, mental health, veterans services), dual enrollment programs (CITS/PSEO), cultural programs (ODAS digital studio, Thunderbird Press), and the Seek to Learn Academy for youth outreach. The institution is a tribal college chartered by the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and member of Minnesota State.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Environmental Institute: Community engagement division focusing on environmental sustainability, agriculture, research, and youth programs
• Ojibwemowining Digital Arts & Storytelling Studio (ODAS)
• Seek to Learn (Nandagikendan) Academy
• Thirteen Moons (Ashi-Niswi Giizisoog)
• Bimaaji'idiwin Ojibwe Garden Program
• D.E.E.T. (Discovering Educational, Experiential Training)
• Thunderbird Press (Animikii Mazina'igan)

Products and services

• Associate Degree Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 91% of 2023-2024 graduates employed in jobs related to their field of study
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Leech Lake Tribal CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023Partnership to provide sustainable educational and experiential opportunities for students interested in food, agricultural, natural resources, and human science career fields (FANH). Jointly awarded $9,000,000 USDA NextGen grant for cultivating next generation of diverse food and agricultural professionals.
• Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior ChippewacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTribal college charter by the Fond du Lac Band; partnership for Ojibwe cultural programming, Head Start projects, food sovereignty initiatives, and community engagement. The college was chartered by the Band in 1987 as part of their comprehensive educational plan.
• Mille Lacs Band of OjibwemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Miskwaadesi Head Start Project providing student support, tuition assistance, and culturally responsive programming for Child Development students.
• Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior ChippewamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Miskwaadesi Head Start Project providing student support and educational opportunities for tribal Head Start programs.
• University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partnerships including Tracking Mercury in the St. Louis River Watershed; student pathways for transfer and graduate education; B4 Warmed climate change research at Cloquet Forestry Center.
• NASAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSnowEx partnership bringing NASA to the region; students establish projects addressing gaps in snow remote sensing knowledge; work directly supports NASA future snow satellite missions.
• USDA NIFAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner$500,000 Area of Expertise Grant (2021) and $9,000,000 NextGen grant (2023) supporting student research experiences, agricultural education, and workforce development in FANH fields.
• Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRCS Racial Equity Grant supporting Producer Training Program addressing climate smart agriculture and beginning farmer training; technical assistance for Bimaaji'idiwin Ojibwe Garden Program.
• 1854 Treaty AuthoritymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for environmental research including SnowEx snow remote sensing project and treaty rights monitoring.
• Fond du Lac Resource ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership for environmental research including mercury tracking, invasive species monitoring (eDNA), and natural resource management.
• World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium (WINHEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWINHEC accreditation of Anishinaabeg Gikendaasowinan Indigenous-focused programs; FDLTCC hosted 2022 Annual Gathering; membership in global Indigenous higher education network.
• USDA APHISmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural and Natural Resources Knowledge Emersion Camp for youth; career pathway programs in agriculture and natural resources; two-week career exploration opportunities.
• Fond du Lac Ojibwe SchoolmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for Ojibwe Garden Program, Thirteen Moons cultural programming, and Seek to Learn Academy for high school student outreach.
• College of St. ScholasticaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransfer destination for graduates; partnership in sustainability programming and Environmental Institute activities.
• Superior National ForestmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research including Oak Blueberry Monitoring for traditional burning initiatives and Lynx Tracking projects.
• American Indian College FundmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding partner for sustainability programming and tribal college initiatives.
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partnership for Environmental DNA monitoring for Invasive Aquatic Species detection on Tribal Lands.
• NOAAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate Strong! youth leadership program for climate resiliency; partnership for community engagement and environmental education.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Diné College: The first tribal college in the U.S., chartered by the Navajo Nation in Arizona. Operates a fully accredited two-year and four-year institution with strong cultural mission, serving as a benchmark for scale, accreditation, and Indigenous-centered programming among TCUs.
• Aaniiih Nakoda College: Montana tribal college serving the Fort Belknap Indian Community with two-year degrees and cultural preservation programs. Comparable in size, mission, and tribal college funding model to FDLTCC.
• White Earth Tribal and Community College: Minnesota tribal and community college chartered by the White Earth Nation, offering two-year degrees with Anishinaabe cultural curriculum. Closest geographic and demographic analog to FDLTCC within the Minnesota TCU network.
• Haskell Indian Nations University: Federally operated tribal university in Kansas serving Native American students from across the U.S. Comparable as a four-year Indigenous-serving institution with cultural mission alignment and federal funding structure.
• Salish Kootenai College: Montana-based tribal college serving the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Offers associate and bachelor's degrees with strong environmental science and natural resources programs comparable to FDLTCC's Environmental Institute focus.
• Leech Lake Tribal College: Minnesota-based tribal college and joint recipient of the $9M USDA NextGen grant with FDLTCC. Offers similar two-year associate degrees and Indigenous-focused curriculum to overlapping Native American student populations in northern Minnesota.
• Bay Mills Community College: Michigan tribal college chartered by the Bay Mills Indian Community, offering associate degrees and Anishinaabe cultural programming. Operates in a similar Great Lakes tribal college ecosystem with overlapping student demographics.
• Red Lake Nation College: Tribal college chartered by the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians in Minnesota offering associate degrees and certificates with strong Ojibwe cultural integration. Operates within the same state higher education ecosystem and serves a comparable Indigenous learner base.

Others

• American Indian College Fund: National nonprofit funding partner for tribal colleges including FDLTCC. Comparable as a thematic ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor, providing scholarship capital and sustainability-programming grants to TCUs.
• Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa: Sovereign tribal government that chartered FDLTCC in 1987 and provides ongoing tribal funding, governance oversight, and cultural programming alignment. Functions as both founder/parent and ecosystem partner rather than a competitor.

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/158017917552056
• Xx.com/ramyerslibrary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fond-du-lac-tribal-community-college

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College