Elementary and secondary schools supported by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) that provide educational services for Native Americans on reservations throughout the U.S. Many of the schools are operated by tribes under contract with BIA.

Programs that provide a graded system of learning in a formal school setting from kindergarten or grade one through grades six, seven, eight or nine (depending on the district configuration) for children ranging in age from five or six to about 13 or 14.

Programs that provide a graded system of learning in a formal school setting from grades nine or 10 through 12 for adolescents who usually range in age from 13 or 14 to 18. High schools provide formal instruction for students who want to prepare themselves for further education at the college/university level as well as those who prefer to seek employment immediately after high school graduation. The curriculum for students who are planning to terminate their formal education focuses on vocational preparation whereas that for college/university-bound students focuses on providing the required number of hours of instruction in targeted subjects to enable them to meet college/university entrance requirements.

Individuals whose ethnic background and ancestry are that of the tribal, aboriginal peoples who originated in what is now the United States. Included are Native Americans who are living on or off reservations in rural and urban areas.

Individuals and families of Native American descent who have needs and interests in common based on living in areas recognized by the federal or a state government as being set aside for the use of Native Americans and governed by Native Americans.