{"id":27740,"date":"2022-09-06T00:10:12","date_gmt":"2022-09-06T04:10:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=27740"},"modified":"2022-09-06T00:10:12","modified_gmt":"2022-09-06T04:10:12","slug":"we-got-lied-to-native-students-find-flaws-in-free-tuition-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/09\/06\/we-got-lied-to-native-students-find-flaws-in-free-tuition-program\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;We got lied to&#8217;: Native students find flaws in free tuition program"},"content":{"rendered":" <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/08\/31\/native-america-calling-college-student-debt-relief\/msudenverpowwow\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-27665\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-attachment-id=\"27665\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/08\/31\/native-america-calling-college-student-debt-relief\/msudenverpowwow\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/31\/MSUDenverPowwow.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1920,1080\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;MSU Denver&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"MSU Denver Powwow\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;MSU Denver Powwow&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by &lt;a href=https:\/\/red.msudenver.edu\/2022\/new-program-will-pay-for-indigenous-and-native-students-higher-education\/&gt;Josh Geurink \/ MSU Denver&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/31\/MSUDenverPowwow-1024x576.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/31\/MSUDenverPowwow.jpg\" alt=\"MSU Denver Powwow\" class=\"size-full wp-image-27665\" \/><\/a> <figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">\r\nThe first annual Auraria Pow Wow, presented by the Native and Indigenous Student Alliance,  took place at  MSU Denver in Denver, Colorado, on May 7, 2022.\r\nPhoto by <a href=https:\/\/red.msudenver.edu\/2022\/new-program-will-pay-for-indigenous-and-native-students-higher-education\/>Josh Geurink \/ MSU Denver<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n<div class=\"h1-responsive\">&#8216;We got lied to&#8217;<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">Native students find out &#8216;free tuition&#8217; program isn&#8217;t free<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"date\">Tuesday, September 6, 2022<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"byline\">By <A href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Kevin_Abourezk\">Kevin Abourezk<\/A> <A href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Kevin_Abourezk\"><I aria-hidden=true class=\"fab fa-twitter\"><\/I><\/A><\/div>\r\n<div class=\"source\">Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nAn Oglala Lakota woman is calling upon leaders at her university in Denver to fulfill a promise they made last spring.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nCeleste Terry, a 30-year-old student of applied indigenous law and science at Metropolitan State University, said she and other Native students at the university were <a href=https:\/\/red.msudenver.edu\/2022\/new-program-will-pay-for-indigenous-and-native-students-higher-education\/>promised free tuition and fees<\/a> by the university\u2019s top leader.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nMSU Denver President Janine Davidson made the announcement on May 6, during the university\u2019s first ever Native graduation ceremony.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nTerry said Davidson never informed the Native student organizers of the ceremony that she would be making the announcement and everyone in attendance was surprised when the president arrived with a news crew.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n\u201cWe will begin to offer free tuition and fees for Colorado residents who are registered with any of the 574 federal recognized Native nations across the country,\u201d Davidson said during the event, eliciting applause and war whoops from those gathered.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\">\r\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mldhEChLkCo?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\"> CBS Colorado: <a href=https:\/\/youtu.be\/mldhEChLkCo>Metro State University Offering Free Tuition To Indigenous People<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nIn a news story about the <a href=https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/colorado\/news\/they-didnt-know-we-were-the-seeds-native-indigenous-coloradans-tuition-fees-waived-msu-denver\/>event posted by CBS Colorado<\/a>, Davidson said the university wanted to address historical injustices committed against Native people.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n\u201cThere is a huge history of wrongs associated with Native and indigenous peoples in this country, and we just really feel like it\u2019s important for MSU Denver to really be doing our part to right those wrongs,\u201d she said.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nBut three months later, the university has yet to fulfill its promise of free tuition and fees for Native students, Terry said.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n\u201cWe got lied to essentially, but the university won\u2019t own it,\u201d Terry told Indianz.Com. \u201cThey won\u2019t make a public apology.\u201d\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nShe said many Native students assumed the university would do precisely what President Davidson promised \u2014 provide Native students with free tuition and fees \u2014 and then refund to those students any other financial aid, including grants and loans, they might have received to attend the school.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nInstead, Terry said, the university recently informed Native students that the program, which it is calling the <a href=https:\/\/www.msudenver.edu\/financial-aid\/indigenous\/>Indigenous and Native Peoples\u2019 Grant<\/a>, is a \u201clast dollar\u201d grant. That means the program only provides financial support when a Native student has unpaid tuition and fees that aren\u2019t covered by other forms of financial aid.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nAnd it means that unless a Native student has enough grants and loans to cover their tuition and fees and provide extra funds to them for living expenses, they won\u2019t receive a refund.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<div class=\"fb-post\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CUDenverAISS\/posts\/pfbid0pzfbzvtKrPJnnMBkets1jNxnrrVeh5SHymL5upNdVwi8F6dghDq3JJzvqshPqKt1l\" data-width=\"552\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block;\"><\/div>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nAndrea Smith, associate vice president of strategic communications for MSU Denver, said the university never planned to erase all tuition and fees for Native students. Rather, she said, the university planned to ensure no Native students would have to pay tuition or fees starting this fall.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n\u201cWhile our official written announcement clearly explained this commitment was made possible by a combination of federal, state and institutional grants, the in-person announcement at our Native and Indigenous Graduation Celebration did not outline the specific details about the funding mechanisms,\u201d Smith said. \u201cStudents who only listened to the headline announcement, presumed they would receive additional funds back.\u201d\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nShe said university leaders met with affected students to better explain the program, hear their concerns and connect them with additional resources. MSU Denver grant administrators have since contacted each recipient individually to answer any remaining questions, Smith said.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n\u201cWe recognize the history of injustice in indigenous or Native communities and that is part of why we created this program,\u201d she said.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nShe said by only paying unpaid tuition and fees not covered by other forms of financial aid, the university will be better able to expand eligibility for the program to Coloradans with ties to any Native nation, not just those with historical ties to the state.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nShe said MSU Denver also has hired a full-time program coordinator to oversee the Indigenous and Native Peoples\u2019 Grant, support recipients of program funding and create a Native community advisory group.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nAnd two weeks ago, President Davidson met with leaders of the <a href=https:\/\/roadrunnerlink.msudenver.edu\/organization\/nisa>Native Indigenous Student Alliance<\/a>, including Terry, to discuss their vision for a \u201cdiverse, respectful and inclusive university community.\u201d\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n\u201cShe looks forward to working with these amazing student leaders to realize these shared goals,\u201d Smith said of Davidson.\r\n<P><\/P><div class=\"mt-1 mb-1\"><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\" data-ad-layout=\"in-article\" data-ad-format=\"fluid\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8411603009680747\" data-ad-slot=\"6394965691\"><\/ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/div><P><\/P>\r\nBut Terry said news that the program doesn\u2019t actually erase tuition and fees for Native students has caused many problems for Native students who readjusted their finances thinking they would be receiving financial aid refunds this fall.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nThose students include Terry, who survived a car accident in April after she crashed into a pickup truck that had been abandoned in the middle of the road.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nShe said she was forced to undergo knee surgery and the costs from her medical bills nearly caused her to lose everything. But believing she would be receiving a financial aid refund in the fall, she paid those bills and even hired a lawyer in an attempt to recover her medical costs from the person who abandoned their pickup in the road.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n\u201cI was like, \u2018I can afford to do this. In the fall, at least I can get this money back. That way I can pay my housing, food, afford the new car,\u2019\u201d she said.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nSome Native students are even worse off and face losing their housing after assuming they would receive refunds this fall, Terry said. And she criticized the university for failing to inform Native students about the details of the grant program until nearly the start of the fall semester.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nThe university didn\u2019t even publish an <a href=https:\/\/www.msudenver.edu\/financial-aid\/indigenous\/>informational page on its website<\/a> about the program until August 24, the day university leaders met with Native students, including Terry.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Thanks to a combination of federal, state and institutional grants, MSU Denver will fully cover Indigenous and Native students\u2019 tuition and fees beginning in the fall semester. Read more in RED: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/NLEfafgJEB\">https:\/\/t.co\/NLEfafgJEB<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/5cUeZSwyeg\">pic.twitter.com\/5cUeZSwyeg<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Auraria Campus (@AurariaCampus) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AurariaCampus\/status\/1526556351496802305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 17, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nShe said she was frustrated by the patronizing manner in which university leaders spoke to the Native students during that meeting, describing a statement made by President Davidson at the start of the meeting as \u201cwhite saviorism.\u201d\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n\u201cThe first thing she tells us is, \u2018You\u2019re lucky we\u2019re even considering helping Native students. Most universities don\u2019t. Basically you should be happy with that effort. The intentions were good,\u2019\u201d Terry said, quoting Davidson.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nAnd while Terry is glad MSU Denver is working to better support Native students, she said believes the university has more work to do to begin treating its Native students honorably and respectfully. And she said she wishes the university had simply been honest from the start about the program not providing free tuition and fees for Native students.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n\u201cI just wish they would have told us that when they made the announcement so people didn\u2019t adjust their finances back in May,\u201d she said.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<div class=\"h4-responsive\">Related Stories<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"related-story\"><a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/08\/31\/native-america-calling-college-student-debt-relief\/\" title=\"Native America Calling: College student debt relief\">Native America Calling: College student debt relief<\/a> (August 31, 2022)<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A public university promised free tuition for Native students. Then the details were revealed.","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27665,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,1],"tags":[3330,400,3331,138,810,102],"class_list":["post-27740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","category-national","tag-celeste-terry","tag-colorado","tag-janine-davidson","tag-meetings","tag-scholarships","tag-youth","no-wpautop"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/31\/MSUDenverPowwow.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcoJ7g-7dq","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27740"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27740\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27665"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}