"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Cherokee Nation Addressing "Higher Education Crisis"

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Cherokee Nation's newest budget totals nearly $30 million and includes the largest amount ever funded for higher education scholarships.Cherokee Nation's newest budget totals nearly $30 million and includes the largest amount ever funded for higher education scholarships.

TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA - A national report released just today says the United States is in a “higher education crisis,” if it wants to compete in a global economy. The report by the bi-partisan National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) says the American education system is no longer the best in the world, and other countries are outperforming the U.S.

Among recommendations by the group:

* Rethink funding, which has been reduced in recent years, therefore driving up costs for students and families.

* Re-examine merit-based and need based financial aid programs to ensure they are well balanced and efficient, also helping adults and part-time students.

* Help reduce student debt, which has increased three-fold the last decade.

* Identify demographic and occupational trends for the next several decades.

* Encourage partnerships between businesses and K-12 institutions.

The Cherokee Nation is proud to have already embraced these suggestions by increasing educational funding in the form of scholarships, making regular donations to local schools and forming strategic partnerships with local schools.

“Historically, Cherokees have always been dedicated to education,” said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. “We established the first institution of higher education west of the Mississippi River in the Cherokee Female Seminary. The Cherokee Nation also endeavors to be a good community partner, and one of the ways we accomplish this is to work closely with communities and their schools.”

In the past five years, Cherokee Nation has awarded more than $13.6 million in scholarships. This money has helped students based on need, as well as merit, and also helps full time and non-traditional students seeking to further their education. Such increased educational funding has also reduced the amount of debt a student faces upon college graduation, allowing that student to enter the workforce with a brighter outlook and increased chances for financial success.

In the four years since the Cherokee Nation implemented car tag sales, more than $7.7 million of that revenue has been given to local K-12 and K-8 schools within the Cherokee Nation's boundaries. That money has been used to establish everything from after school programs to new computer labs, giving students the tools they need to stay in school and become successful.

The Cherokee Nation’s newest budget totals nearly $30 million and includes the largest amount ever for higher education scholarships. It also includes a new initiative sponsored by Chief Smith to create full college scholarships for Cherokee students who are majoring in fields that are in demand within the Cherokee Nation, including a pilot program for nursing.

Cherokee Nation has also positioned itself as a strategic partner and support system for Sequoyah High School. New facilities, increased classroom funding and expanded curriculum have helped transform this private school into the “school of choice” for Native American students from across the country. Last year five students from the school received the prestigious Gates Millennium Scholarship, which pays for up to 10 years of higher education study, including postgraduate degrees.

“I was so relieved that I didn’t have to worry about funding my education anymore,” said Jamie Loy, Gates Millennium Scholarship recipient. “I was just so happy, and my parents were happy and relieved as well.”

Once again, Cherokee Nation is a good partner for Oklahoma, identifying needs and taking action. For more information on educational opportunities for Cherokee citizens, please call the Cherokee Nation Education Department, phone: 918-453-5465.

The NCSL’s report can be accessed visit NCSL.