Education, research and culture

Executive Order 13021: Tribal Colleges and Universities

President: Bill Clinton

Created a federal initiative to improve tribal colleges’ access to programs, resources, institutional support and culturally grounded education.

Status: Revoked.

Is Executive Order 13021 still in effect? No. Revoked and replaced by EO 13270 in 2002; the initiative now operates under later Native education orders.

What does Executive Order 13021 do?

EO 13021 directed a federal initiative to improve tribal colleges’ participation in government programs through agency plans, liaison officials and an advisory board. An archived White House announcement of 1999 board appointments expressly describes the board advising on agencies’ progress in opening access to resources and programs. EO 13270 replaced the 1996 order in 2002. The Education Department’s current account traces its Native education initiative back to the 1996 tribal-college effort, while describing later expansions. The original order did not guarantee funding or create an individual right to a grant.

Administration position: The order coordinated federal support and access; it did not guarantee funding to every tribal college or replace statutory grant eligibility and appropriations.
SignedOctober 19, 1996
Lead departmentEducation
Core mechanismAnnual agency plans and liaison officials

Before and after

Before the order

Tribal colleges lacked a dedicated government-wide planning and accountability initiative.

After the order

Agencies prepared institutional plans and a White House initiative coordinated access and support.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
Education DepartmentLead the initiative and aggregate agency plansUntil replacement
Participating agenciesDevelop plans, designate liaisons and reportUnder the historical order
AgenciesReduce lawful barriers to program participationHistorical framework

What happened next

EO 13021 established the initiative and advisory board.

The White House announced board appointments and described its oversight role.

EO 13270 revoked and replaced EO 13021.

EO 14049 established a broader Native education initiative.