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Tipton re-ups Fort Lewis tuition bill

Native Americans’ costs would shift from Colorado to federal

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, reintroduced legislation Wednesday that would help the state of Colorado and Fort Lewis College cover tuition costs of qualifying Native American students who receive free tuition at the college.

The Native American Indian Education Act would require the federal government to help cover tuition costs of Native Americans who live out of state, an expense that has been covered by the state of Colorado.

A 1910 federal land grant for the college stipulated that Fort Lewis provide a tuition-free education to all qualifying Native American students.

While only a handful of Native American students attended the school at the time, the burden of payments on the state has increased significantly in recent years. The college had 1,123 Native American students from 155 different tribes enrolled as of the fall of 2014, making up 30 percent of the student body.

Colorado paid about $15 million in tuition reimbursements in 2014. The legislation would require the federal government to cover the costs for out-of-state students.

Tipton and FLC President Dene Kay Thomas characterized the tuition waiver as an “unfunded federal mandate,” though Colorado agreed to the terms of the land exchange in 1910. The school has evolved from an agricultural high school to a four-year college since that time, yet the tuition waiver remains.

“The state of Colorado is currently forced to carry the weight of an unfunded federal mandate, which has created uncertainty for this vital program at Fort Lewis College that satisfies our nation’s treaty obligations and ensures that many talented and bright Native American Indian students have the opportunity to get a quality education” Tipton said in a statement.

“Our legislation seeks to address this issue by requiring the federal government to fully live up to its obligation, easing the burden on Colorado taxpayers, and providing certainty for students at Fort Lewis and other impacted institutions.”

Tipton also told The Durango Herald that he is “excited” to send the bill to the House.

Thomas and former U.S. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell accompanied Tipton as he delivered the legislation Wednesday.

“It has become an unintended, unfunded federal mandate,” Thomas told the Herald. “We are a success story, and we feel it would be fair and just for the federal government to take on some of that weight.

“We are very happy to have (Tipton’s) support and cooperation on the bill,” Thomas said. “We are very grateful for that.”

The bill has bipartisan support with 11 co-sponsors, including Reps. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., Dianna DeGette, D-Colo., and Mark Takano, D-Calif., who serves on the Education and Workforce Committee.

Tipton and U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., each sponsored the legislation in 2013, although the bills didn’t reach a vote in either chamber.

Michael Cipriano is a student at American University in Washington, D.C., and an intern for The Durango Herald.

Apr 1, 2019
Bill reintroduced asking federal government to pay portion of tuition waiver


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