UMN offers free or reduced tuition to American Indian students on all campuses – Twin Cities

The University of Minnesota is expanding a scholarship program to enable most U.S. Indian students to attend any of its campuses while paying little or no tuition.

From next fall, American Indian students from families earning up to $ 75,000 a year will pay nothing; there is a 90 percent discount for families earning up to $ 100,000 and 80 percent for incomes of up to $ 125,000.

To qualify, students must be enrolled in a tribe; complete FAFSA; start school on one of U’s campuses just after high school or transfer from a Minnesota-based tribal college; take full-time classes; and maintain a 2.0 GPA or better.

“We have been very honest from my first days as president that we need to better serve the citizens of our tribal nations and their communities,” said President Joan Gabel. “This program is a meaningful step towards increasing access and continuing to improve retention and graduation rates while closing gaps in opportunities, all in line with our mission and our system-wide strategic plan, MPact 2025.”

Tuition remains free for any Native American on the Morris campus, which Congress has demanded since it was transformed from a boarding school in 1909.

U’s five campuses already fully cover tuition for beginners of any race with one family income below $ 50,000, and tuition is reduced by between $ 300 and $ 4,000 per year for freshmen and transfer students with family incomes below $ 120,000.