A Republican lawmaker in Michigan is trying to end the state's Indian tuition waiver program.

The Washington Treaty of 1836 guaranteed an education for tribal members in the state. In 1976, the Michigan Indian Tuition Waiver Act was passed to ensure that students who reside in Michigan for at least a year and have at least one-quarter Indian blood receive a tuition waiver at public universities in the state.

State Rep. Dave Agema says Indian students don't need the help because their tribes make "billions of dollars" on gaming. The program only costs the state $4.77 million a year.

Agema says he hasn't been able to get a hearing on his bill because tribes are "a powerful lobby."

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Michigan lawmaker wants to end tribal tuition waiver (The Grand Rapids Press 6/2)