News Item

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.

VA is now exempting eligible American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans from copayments for health care and all urgent care visits received on or after January 5, 2022.

This policy implements Section 3002 of the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020.

Veterans seeking copayment exemption should submit copies of VA Form 10-334 and official tribal documentation to begin receiving this new benefit.

The copayment exemption:

• Retroactively reimburses eligible American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans from copayments for health care and all urgent care visits received on or after January 5, 2022.
• Eliminates future copayment collection of copayments for health care and all urgent care visits for eligible American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans.

This new regulation intends to encourage American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans to seek medical care through VA. This regulation also makes health care more accessible and allows VA to better deliver care and health benefits these Veterans have earned through their service to our nation.

Copies of Veteran’ Tribal documentation and VA Form 10-334 can be mailed to:

VHA Tribal Documentation
PO Box 5100
Janesville, WI 53547-5100

Please do not mail original documents. Only copies should be mailed. If Veterans need to make copies of their documentation or need a printed copy of VA Form 10-334, they can request copies at their local VA medical center or clinic.

We are engaging all our VA partners, including tribal, federal, state and local communities, to ensure that all American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans know of this new policy and have the information they need to participate. To learn more, visit www.va.gov/health-care/copay-rates or call 1-800-MyVA411

The Delaware Tribe of Indians ARPA Counseling Service Program is now open and accepting applications. Please see the application at the link below for details.

>>>Application