Last month on Sept. 10, the U.S. Department of Education announced $350 million in cuts to university grants.
One of the grants that was partially cut provides financial support to universities with large Alaska Native student populations such as the University of Alaska Fairbank’s Bristol Bay Campus in Dillingham. The specific grant is called Strengthening Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions.
Jacelyn Keys, the director of the Kodiak College which is a University of Alaska Anchorage community campus, said in an email statement that the Kodiak College hasn’t received any funding through the grant, so they won’t be affected.
Alaska Natives make up 17.8% of the student population at Kodiak College. To qualify for the grant, at least 20% of a college’s student population has to identify as Alaska Native.
“To be eligible for the funding, you have to have the 20% student body base of Alaska Native," Brian Uher said. "But once you receive the funding, it could be used to support staff and faculty develop programs, and those programs were open to everyone, regardless of race or ethnicity."
Uher is the interim vice chancellor for Rural, Community and Native Education at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Even though the Kodiak College won’t be affected by this grant cut, Uher said UAF has two campuses that are expected to lose a combined $8.8 million. The campuses are the UAF Community & Technical College in Fairbanks and the Bristol Bay Campus in Dillingham.
Last month, Sen. Dan Sullivan and Sen. Lisa Murkowski asked that the cuts be reversed in a letter they sent to the Department of Education on Sept. 18. According to the senators’ letter, the grant does not, “impose racial quotas or restrict admissions based on race.”
The letter goes on to say the grant helps fulfill the federal government’s duty to support Alaska Native people’s education. The Department of Education argues that the grants are unconstitutional.
The funding cuts are the latest move from the department that reflects their new guidance on race-based student programs, support and admissions.
In February, the Department of Education said any race-based decision making by universities is illegal. The department highlighted diversity, equity and inclusion programs, also known as DEI, as problematic.
In response, the University of Alaska Board of Regents passed a motion that eliminated language related to DEI from the university system with the goal of preserving federal funding.
Jonathon Taylor, a spokesperson with the University of Alaska, said in an email that the university considers the term “Alaska Native” to be both a political and racial designation.
He said, “it was our understanding that the Department of Education held the same position. Clearly, the Department's position has changed, but the University's has not.”
Taylor said the university is working both with the Department of Education and Alaska’s congressional delegation to address the cuts, but the federal government shutdown is affecting that work.
At a town hall in April, University of Alaska President Pat Pitney told the university community that supporting Alaska Native students should be excluded from the Department of Education’s DEI policy.
“DEI is not about Alaska Native Success Initiative," Pitney said. "DEI is about the federal politics of and the emotional words that are attached to it.”
On Monday, President Pitney will hold another university-wide town hall via livestream that can be watched on the University of Alaska’s website.
Editor's Note: Matthew Schmitz is a University of Alaska student who wrote this story as a freelancer for KMXT.
