Indigenous populations have long faced barriers in pursuing higher education and Minnesota's new free college tuition program could help put some of these dreams within reach.

This fall, the state launched its North Star Promise initiative, where households earning below $80,000 qualify for free tuition at state colleges and universities. Experts said limited scholarships are one of the many obstacles Native Americans encounter in the world of higher education.

Anna Sheppard, president of White Earth Tribal and Community College, does not sense the new program will lead to a big enrollment boost but for students receiving aid, it could take their college journey to greater heights.

"What I really appreciate is that they're not going to have to graduate having debt," Sheppard emphasized. "Maybe they're going to pursue a master's or doctoral, so then they don't have to worry about that."

She noted juggling student loans and other college debt often limits Indigenous populations from obtaining advanced degrees. Research from the Postsecondary National Policy Institute shows that between 2010 and 2020, there was an 18% decrease in graduate enrollment among Native Americans.

At White Earth, Sheppard noted the possibility of more students from tribal areas means they could be learning about in-demand careers and technology, such as solar energy.

"On top of that, we do have a solar array on campus, so they get to see one that's actually an operation," Sheppard explained. "Right now, that powers our extension-customized education building."

She suggested the solar classes they provide, including learning how to install panels, put the students in a better position after graduation with more projects coming on board in Minnesota. Industry leaders said they are having a harder time filling jobs, increasingly offering good pay and benefits.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.


get more stories like this via email

Washington's Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction has revised its public school discipline policies, and advocates for children said the changes weaken student protections and OSPI did not seek enough community feedback.

One of the new rules removes requirements for schools to consider alternative forms of discipline before suspensions or expulsions.

Derick Harris, executive director of the Black Education Strategy Roundtable, said since Black students are twice as likely to face disciplinary actions compared with white students, they will be unfairly affected by the change.

"This appears to me to be some rollback to a bygone era of zero-tolerance policy," Harris contended. "Which we know within the Black community is a streamlined pathway from the school to the prison."

OSPI said it followed all the required procedures in creating the new rules, including gathering public comment at four public hearings across the state. All school districts are required to follow the new rules, which take effect in July.

Eric Holzapfel, chief engagement officer for the League of Education Voters, criticized OSPI for doing only the bare minimum to engage the community about the new rules, arguing they did not give enough notice for the public hearings and there were not enough of them.

"There was one in the whole Puget Sound, so that's close to three million people," Holzapfel pointed out. "Only one public hearing from 4 to 6 p.m. How is a working parent going to make that?"

Harris explained most of the Black residents in Washington live around Seattle and SeaTac, yet the nearest OSPI meeting to comment on the new rules was in Federal Way, more than an hour's drive during rush hour.

"This represents an intentional neglect of voices that this would impact the most," Harris asserted.

Data show just one suspension can lead to decreased academic performance, a higher chance of involvement with the criminal justice system and lower wages.

Hunger among college students in California has jumped dramatically since the pandemic, yet Cal-Fresh -- a statewide low-income food assistance program -- fails to reach more than 70% of eligible students.

So, food pantries at colleges and universities are finding creative ways to meet student needs.

In the 2023-24 school year, 46% of students at Cal Poly Humboldt used the school's Oh-SNAP! food pantry, 4% more than the year before.

Mira Friedman - lead for health education and clinic support services there, who coordinates the program - said people may think that if students can afford tuition, they can afford food.

But that's often untrue.

"It's a misconception, because oftentimes financial aid is not significant enough to pay for all the expenses," said Friedman. "Food is very expensive, housing insecurity is very real, and food insecurity is very real for our students."

Data from the California Student Aid Commission found that more than two-thirds of college students surveyed were food insecure in 2023.

Humboldt's Oh-SNAP! program offers cooking and gardening classes, sponsors a weekly farm stand with organic fruits and vegetables, and even has a pop-up thrift store with furniture and kitchen items.

Students are also notified to pick up extra food from dining halls.

Contra Costa College, a 2-year school in San Pablo, recently launched a pilot program with 20 refrigerated lockers where students can pick up groceries they order online.

Basic needs coordinator Hope Dixon said the program also helps students with Cal-Fresh applications.

"The eligibility requirements around CalFresh are incredibly challenging," said Dixon. "I have a flow chart that helps students pre-review if they have some eligibility. In order to apply, there's an interview, and students are often in classes. If they miss the call, it's very, very hard."

Students who are on a school food plan only qualify for Cal Fresh if it is the most minimal plan.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.



get more stories like this via email

Congress is considering a bill which would for the first time create a nationalized school voucher program, redirecting billions in federal funding from public schools toward private schools.

Kentucky educators said it would hurt counties across the Commonwealth, where 90% of kids, around 650,000, attend a public school.

Last November, Kentuckians weighed in on a ballot measure, Amendment 2, which would have allowed the legislature to spend taxpayer money on private institutions.

Eddie Campbell, president of the Kentucky Education Association, said the measure was soundly defeated.

"It lost," Campbell recounted. "It was voted down in every single county, every single community across the Commonwealth."

The Educational Choice for Children Act would funnel $10 billion per year to states in tax credits for school vouchers. According to the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, expanding vouchers will affect the state's poorest rural areas the hardest.

Campbell added many Kentucky school districts receive 20% to 30% of their money from federal sources, noting the legislation also proposes slashing programs relying on federal dollars.

"All of those cuts means that those dollars have to be either made up or programs or staffing will have to be adjusted to fill the gap from those cuts," Campbell pointed out.

He stressed communities need support providing meals, transportation and universal pre-K to students.

"Making sure that our tax dollars are going or staying invested in our public schools and our local public schools that serve those students every single day without, without question," Campbell urged.

Last week Gov. Andy Beshear signed an executive order creating the Team Kentucky pre-K for All Advisory Committee, made up of more than two dozen lawmakers, parents and community leaders from across the Commonwealth.


get more stories like this via email