In a new proposal, Gov. Tony Evers recommended full tuition waivers for any student who is a resident of one of Wisconsin’s 11 federally recognized tribal nations and enrolled at a University of Wisconsin System or Wisconsin Technical College System school, according to the 2025-2027 Budget Brief.
While the cost of this specific proposal is still unknown, it is part of a $129 million effort to increase affordability in the UW System over the next two years, according to Wisconsin Watch.
The proposal mirrors the Wisconsin Tribal Education Promise already in place at UW, which covers all educational costs of pursuing an undergraduate degree for Native American students who are citizens of a tribal nation.
The Wisconsin Tribal Education Promise is not tied to household income and is funded in part by philanthropy rather than state funds, according to the program website.
If Evers’ proposal is approved, these programs will be funded by the state, according to the budget.
Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin and UW Director of Tribal Relations Carla Vigue met with the Wisconsin tribes leaders multiple times in 2023 to discuss their vision for Native American students in higher education and what the university could offer them.
“In Wisconsin, [the financial support for Native American students] has been something that’s been discussed for some time, and so UW-Madison spent much of 2023 talking with the leaders of the state’s 11 federally recognized tribes about this idea and talking about how we could enact a proposal,” Vigue said.
In the end, UW came up with a proposal covering tuition, room, board books, fees and additional costs of living.
After the final consultation, the American Indian Nations of Wisconsin and Mnookin agreed to the proposal and signed it in December of 2023.
The current school year is the program’s first full academic year in motion and it has just under 80 students, Vigue said.
“We’re supportive of the notion that this sort of program would move forward and we would like to be supportive of their efforts as well, because this is something that tribes have been asking for for some time,” Vigue said.
Many universities across the country provide some form of tuition assistance or full tuition remission for Native American students, according to Vigue.
For example, the University of California system, the University of Minnesota, the State of Michigan and the University of Maine system waive tuition and fees for Native American students, according to PBS.
