5 Universities for Native Students to Check Out: 2016 Hot List
Debra Utacia Krol
Donāt have the fortitudeāor the credit ratingāto take on six-figure debt for that sheepskin? Well, relief is at hand, Native students and prospective students. Here are five universities that offer support, scholarships and, sometimes, free tuition for Native students.
Blind Yourself with Science
The Indian Natural Resources, Science and Engineering Program (INRSEP) at Humboldt State University, recruits and provides support services to āunderrepresented, low income, and historically disadvantaged students in STEM disciplines with a specific focus on American Indian and indigenous students,ā according to HSUās website. INRSEP supports Native students with academic and research support services to this historically underrepresented community.
INRSEP also provides resources through the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) and Society for the Advancement of Native Americans and Chicanos in Science (SACNAS), and provides services through the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program, a National Science Foundation initiative that aims to increase the numbers of underrepresented minorities in STEM careers. HSU is a longtime program partner. Students can also take advantage of the rich diversity of Northern California tribal cultures in the region while acquiring a quality education.
Leap Over the Gap For a Free Degree
For those who wish to attend college for free (or nearly free), the University of Maine offers tuition waivers for Native students who are residents, or who establish residency by living in the state for at least one year. The UM program provides Native college students an opportunity to acquire a quality education in one of the United Statesā most beautiful states. And UM offers some great degrees, such as forestry.
John Bear Mitchell, Penobscot, the director of the program, estimates that in the 14 years he has managed the tuition waiver, about 800 students have participated in the program. āThis past year, students from 23 tribes were in the program,ā he says, coming from as far away as Alaska and California.
The tuition waiver program, which started in 1934, also requires that students qualify academically and be accepted into the university. āWe supply student support services and require the students to maintain good academic standing.ā In fact, if a student falls behind, academic counseling is required.
Mitchell also administers a room and board grant program for need-based students.
Study with World-Class Native Scholars
The University of California at Los Angeles provides Native students with the opportunity to learn from some of Indian countryās giants. Study Indian law with Carole Goldberg, who among other achievements served on the Indian Law and Order Commission. Or, learn sociology with acclaimed scholar Duane Champagne, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa (an ICTMN columnist). Peter Nabokov, author of many books on Native issues, including the protection of sacred sites, is also part of UCLAās interdepartmental American Indian Studies program. Research opportunities abound as well in language preservation, Indian law and other areas.
With one of the United Statesā largest urban Indian communities as well as several indigenous California Indian communities, thereās also much to see and do for those who donāt just want to lounge on the beach between classes.
Best Way to Turn Yourself Loose
For those who canāt abide big cities, take the immortal Merle Haggardās advice and head to the middle of Montanaāwell, not quite the middle, but to beautiful Bozemanāto earn your degree at Montana State University. Named one of the top 100 minority degree producers by Diverse Education, MSU offers Natives degree programs in many sought-after programs such as sustainable food production, natural resources and rangeland ecology, and education.
Plus, youāll be living in the gorgeous Gallatin Valley, with clean water and air, support from the Native American Studies program and a cost of living thatās only slightly higher than the U.S. average. Pow wows are plentiful in Montana as well, including the legendary Crow Fair.
Study Law on (Virtual) Tulsa Time
For those who seek to grasp the intricacies of federal Indian law, but who arenāt able to take the time away from their career to go to law school, the University of Tulsa offers an online Master of Jurisprudence in Indian Law (MJIL) degree program. The 18- to 24-month program is a great option for tribal leaders or tribal government managers, attorneys who wish to learn more about Indian law or policy, or those seeking to enter tribal government. The program offers a solid grounding in topics ranging from legal principles that guide Native policy to legal writing, and from family law to natural resources, land use and energy. Although it is the nationās smallest law school, TU graduates serve across Indian country and the world.
This article appeared in the Indian Country Today Media Network 2016 Hot List magazine.