Senators Try Again On Fort Lewis Tuition Proposal
DURANGO, Colo. (AP) -- Colorado's senators have reintroduced a bill to help Colorado bear costs of waiving tuition for Native American students at Fort Lewis College.
A federal mandate in 1910 required the college in Durango to provide tuition-free education to American Indians.
Sens. Mark Udall and Michael Bennet say Colorado has spent more than $110 million in the past 25 years on the waivers, but Colorado's budget woes could threaten to reduce state funding to meet the mandate.
Fort Lewis says tuition waivers this year have gone to 786 Native American students, including 668 students from outside Colorado.
The senators' bill could provide around $10 million per year to help Colorado bear costs of the waiver. The Durango Herald reports Congress adjourned before acting on a similar proposal last year.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
