In early 2026, the University of Chicago Press Journals Division became the first publisher to offer free journal access to Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) in the United States through a partnership with the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC). The initiative provides no-cost digital subscriptions to every journal in our program, ensuring our new and archival scholarship is available to the students and faculty served by these often-underfunded institutions.
AIHEC includes 37 TCUs that were created and chartered by their own Tribal government or the federal government to provide higher education opportunities to American Indians through programs that are locally based, holistic, and supportive. So far, we have provisioned access to more than ten institutions, and we are working with AIHEC as additional institutions opt in. This new program is an exceptional opportunity to build productive and collaborative relationships with institutions we were not previously reaching. Learn more about the American Indian Higher Education Consortium .