The University of Oregon Will Cover Tuition and Fees for Indigenous Students Living in State

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The University of Oregon has formed a new program to help Indigenous students living in the state by paying their tuition and fees.

The Home Flight Scholars Program was announced and made immediately available by the university on Oct. 10, according to a news release.

It will help 150 to 175 American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) undergraduate students receive financial assistance.

"The Home Flight Scholars Program tackles the unique challenges these students face and prepares them to graduate with an education and the experience that empowers them to return home and make a positive impact in their communities and for their families," University of Oregon interim president Patrick Phillips said in a statement.

Oregon already has a program that covers tuition and other fees for Indigenous students who are members of the state's nine federally recognized tribes, as noted by CNN.

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But the Home Flight Scholars Program expands on that by offering to cover fees for any student who is a part of one of the 574 federally recognized tribes throughout the entire country — if they live in Oregon.

"With Home Flight, we can provide academic and social guidance that will compliment tribal educational values," Jason Younker, the university's assistant vice president, said in the release.

"We hope that each graduate will consider returning to their home reservations and become future stewards and leaders within their communities," he added.

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According to the Hunt Institute, as of 2019, 28.4 percent of Native Americans live below the poverty level — a number that is double the national average.

While students from minority backgrounds make up about 29 percent of college students, the institute says Native Americans account for only 1 percent of that amount.

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The Home Flight Scholars Program is funded through federal, state, and institutional grants.

"Most of us have grown up wondering whether we were going to be able to afford college, or whether going to college or staying home is our choice," Younker said in the press release.

"But each of us has had ancestors that sacrificed and survived so that we could have the choices that we do today," he continued. "The choice should be where to go to college, not if we can go to college."