Graduates listen to speakers at the convocation ceremony for Native American Student Affairs on May 6.
TUSCON, Ariz.-Undergraduate students from the state's 22 federally recognized Native American tribes will no longer have to pay tuition and mandatory fees at the University of Arizona main campus in Tucson.
Beginning in the fall 2022, new and continuing full-time, degree-seeking, in-state undergraduates will be eligible for the Arizona Native Scholars Grant, the first program of its kind in Arizona.
"Serving Arizona's Native American tribes and tribal students is a crucial part of the University of Arizona's land-grant mission," said University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins." I am so proud that this university has found a way to help hundreds of students more easily access and complete a college education."
To be eligible, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, and provide tribal identification. Native American tribes' federal legal status allows universities to administer scholarships and grants to tribal members.
More than 400 students enrolled at UArizona last year meet the criteria for the new program.
The new grant is part of a host of university programs and partnerships with Native American communities and students. In the fall, a survey by the National Science Foundation showed that UArizona is the top doctorate-granting institution for American Indian or Alaska Native students.
The university's Indigenous Resilience Center works directly with tribal nations to address environmental challenges in ways that respect Native and Indigenous sovereignty and knowledge.
Several programs in the College of Education, including the Indigenous Teacher Education Program and Native SOAR, offer training and support for K-12 teachers, especially those who serve Indigenous communities.
During the 2020-21 academic year, the James E. Rogers College of Law was among the top three U.S. law schools with the highest number of Native American students pursuing a Juris Doctor, according to the latest data from the American Bar Association. The college is home to the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program, which is renowned for its scholarship on American Indian and Indigenous peoples law, policy and human rights.
In the future the program may expand to graduate students, University of Arizona Online students and students at other UArizona campuses.
