| The history of higher education and Native | | | | which have a Native student program like |
| Americans runs deep. It is could quite possibly be | | | | Montana and Maine. The state programs usually |
| one of the longest arrangements in American | | | | have a state residency requirement before |
| history. Harvard University was founded with the | | | | providing for the tuition of Native college students. |
| purpose of training Native Americans, as was | | | | Some states offer in-state tuition for Native |
| Dartmouth College. It is this legacy that has led | | | | students who are members of a tribe in state, |
| many schools to keep their doors open to Native | | | | but may not be residents of the state. Oklahoma |
| students with scholarships. | | | | and Oregon provides such financial aid. Oregon |
| One school that continues it arrangement with it | | | | even goes so far as to allow tribes which |
| Native American roots is Ottawa University in | | | | formerly lived in state boundaries. Among all |
| Ottawa, Kansas. The Ottawa tribe gave the | | | | programs, from both public and private financial |
| school its founding endowment with a provision of | | | | institutions, higher education has done much to |
| 20,000 acres of lands to the institution in the mid | | | | provide for Native students. |
| 19th century. Free education was part of the | | | | Also, tribes provide scholarships to their college |
| transaction and to this day (over 145 years later) | | | | students. The amount and requirements differ, |
| Ottawa tribal members may still attend the | | | | but typically the requirements are a school be an |
| private university. Ottawa tribal membership (the | | | | accredited two or four year institution, a minimal |
| Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma) gives tribal students | | | | GPA be maintained, and be a full-time student. |
| full tuition, room and board, and regular fees. A | | | | The amounts differ but a general rule of thumb is |
| significant financial aid package for any student to | | | | that the larger the tribe the smaller the |
| be sure. | | | | scholarship, and vice versa. Also typical is for the |
| There are other schools which provide Native | | | | scholarship to only meet unmet financial need |
| American scholarships and there are even states | | | | based on the financial requirements of the school. |