All enrolled members of federally recognized Native American tribes will qualify for in-state tuition at Oregon Institute of Technology (Oregon Tech) beginning in Fall Term 2022, starting this week. The out-of-state surcharge waiver will apply to returning and incoming students, regardless of whether they are a resident of Oregon.
The waiver will result in significant savings and could save students up to $10,000 per term depending on credit hours and major.
Oregon Tech President Nagi Naganathan stated that the change is an important one for the university to make.
“Oregon Tech has been furthered by tribal culture and heritage and from the tribal lands on which our campuses reside,” he said. “We are honored that many Native American students call Oregon Tech their educational home, and we are happy to make the opportunity to attend Oregon Tech more affordable for out-of-state tribal students who are enrolled members of federally recognized Native American tribes.”
The waiver follows the Oregon Legislature’s approval of the Oregon Tribal Student Grant, which makes higher education more accessible for members of Oregon’s nine federally-recognized tribes. The Oregon Tribal Student Grant provides money toward tuition and other college-related expenses at Oregon colleges and universities.
Oregon Tech’s campus in Klamath Falls resides on the ancestral homelands and traditional territory of the Klamath, Modoc, and Yahooskin Nations. The Portland-Metro campus resides on the ancestral and contemporary home of the Clackamas, Kathlamet, Multnomah, the Tualatin Kalapuya People, Tumwater, and the Watlala bands of the Chinook. Oregon Tech’s campus in Everett, in the State of Washington, resides on the traditional and ancestral lands of the Tulalip, the Sauk-Suiattle, and the Stillaguamish people. We gratefully acknowledge that the tribes mentioned here have stewarded this land since time immemorial.
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