Indigenous American Students’ Residency Status for Tuition Enacted by KS Legislature

The Kansas Legislature enacted a provision to allow particular students enrolling at a public institution of higher education in Kansas to have residency status for the purpose of paying tuition. This provision is in place from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024 with anticipated annual renewal through the Legislature.

Students

Students who are enrolled as a member of the following Nations are eligible for residency status at Kansas public institutions of higher education, regardless of the location of their residence:

The Kickapoo Tribe of Indians of the Kickapoo Reservation in Kansas
The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation
The Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska
The Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska

or

The following Indigenous Nations with historical connections to Kansas territories:

The Apache Tribe of Oklahoma
The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma
The Cherokee Nation
The Chippewa
Comanche Nation of Oklahoma
The Delaware Tribe of Indians
The Kaw Nation of Oklahoma
The Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma
The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma
The Oneida Nation
The Osage Nation
The Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma
The Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma
The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians
The Grand Traverse Bay Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians
The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians
The Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians
The Bay Mills Indian Community
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
The Michigan Bands of the Ottawa/Odawa
The Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma
The Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma
The Quapaw Tribe of Indians
The Shawnee Tribe
The Wichita and Affiliated Tribes (Wichita, Keechi, Waco and Tawakonie) of Oklahoma
The Wyandotte Nation

Institutions

Each state university, municipal university, community college or technical college in Kanas is directed by the Legislature to consider the Indigenous American students noted above as Kansas residents for the purpose of tuition.

With this being a new policy, it is anticipated that the list of Nations with historic ties to Kansas will be refined in subsequent years. If you are a Native Nation with historic ties to the Kansas land base, please contact Elaine Frisbie with the Kansas Board of Regents with your information and accompanying documentation articulating your Nation’s history in Kansas by email at efrisbie@ksbor.org.