During this year’s grant cycle, Utah was not endowed with about $3.8 million in federal funds that would have supported American Indian programs and initiatives that the College of Education has organized.
The grant money was awarded to seven other states, including Oregon and South Dakota, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The consequences of not receiving the federal grant money could put students a year off in obtaining a sufficient amount of funds to attend the U, but the College of Education promised to keep supporting them financially to achieve a college degree, said Lena Judee, interim director of the American Indian Resource Center.
“Just because a few students lost money, it doesn’t mean it has ruined them. There is plenty more,” she said.
Historically, the U has had trouble enrolling more American Indian students. Fewer than 200 American Indian students are enrolled at the U, 38 of whom are progressing onto higher degrees, according to the AIRC. But those seeking to come to the U and increase its diversity still have plenty of means to pay their way.
There is an abundant amount of American Indian scholarships and funds to be offered directly from the U as well as from outside corporations such as The Daniel Funds scholarship and The Roger Leland Goudie Scholarship, which specifically help American Indian students, as well as the Terrel H. Bell Teaching Initiative Loan Program for those who want to become teachers. None of them are in danger of being terminated.
There are many benefits the U has to financially aid future American Indian students that are not affected by the lack of federal money. The most prominent is in-state tuition that is offered to any bordering tribes of Utah. This deed has, so far, boosted the U’s goal of becoming “a front-runner of Indian education” Judee said.
The federal money would have also aided a program called The American Indian Teacher Education Collaboration, which is designed to train teachers to go back into American Indian communities and educate children.
“Even though the federal money was not granted, it is our full intention to keep supporting American Indians who want to become teachers,” said Ceceila Tso, the grants and contract officer of the College of Education.
Although these programs and scholarships are fortunately aided by other means, such as private funds, donations, and stipends, every year the College of Education will keep reapplying to receive the federal grants.
“The future is to continue to seek federal, state, tribal and scholarship funding to support American Indian students," Tso said. "These optimistic efforts with not be discontinued."
More scholarships for American Indians can be found at sa.utah.edu/finance.
2. University of Utah intends to pursue the following actions:
a) University of Utah will make available as appropriate and possible its regular summer and academic year of educational and research programs to Ute Indian students, educators, and tribal personnel.
b) University of Utah will work cooperatively with the Ute Indian Tribe to seek private, state and federal funding to support the implementation and expansion of Ute Indian Tribe-University of Utah initiatives.
c) Within the limit of availability funds, the University of Utah will offer financial assistance to academically qualified Ute Indian students.
d) Within the limits of available resources, the University of Utah will work cooperatively when appropriate and requested by the Ute Tribe to conduct scientific and technical research in areas of paramount importance to the Ute Tribe. The University of Utah will aid and assist the Ute Tribe to build a body of scholarly materials available in education, language, natural resources, business and other disciplines.(This is but a small proportion of the Memorandum of Understanding Between the Ute Indian Tribe and University of Utah: relating to the establishment of cooperative education programs and initiatives for the mutual benefit of the Ute Indian Tribe and University of Utah. Date signed: Maxine Natchees, Chairman, Ute Indian Tribe Business Committee, Nov. 25, 2003 & J. Bernard Machen, President, University of Utah, Date signed: Dec. 16, 2003. Expires four years from date signed).
Let's assume these "American Indian front-runners in education" have over 40 years of commitment to American Indian education with budgets of no less than $ 15 million dollars. The U on the other hand had a successful Indian ed program for four years (2002-2006) which graduated 40 Amer Indians yet in the previous years had only 14 Amer Indian students from 1940 to 2001 with $2.1 million dollars granted to the U by the U.S. government not thru private funds.