CU Boulder makes good on a 33-year-old promise 

Making good on a 33-year-old promise to the Tribe, Scholarships to CU Boulder will be available for four students starting this fall.  

A renewed partnership between the University of Colorado and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe has culminated in the CU Boulder Tuition and Fee Partnership Program, which will cover tuition and fees for at least four Southern Ute undergraduate students starting next semester. 

“This commitment makes good on a promise made by former CU leaders years ago that, until now, has gone unfulfilled. It was important to me that our campus follows through on those plans, and we’re excited to see how the partnership grows and evolves in the years to come,” CU Boulder Chancellor Philip DiStefano said. “In addition to making it easier for Native American students to attend CU Boulder, it’s also important that we ensure that students find a ‘home away from home’ on our campus that respects their culture and supports their goals.” 

Under this initiative, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s Education Department will nominate up to four students per year based on tribal enrollment and other criteria. Nominees must be enrolled full-time at CU Boulder and complete the application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  

“There was a letter sent to former Southern Ute Chairman Leonard Burch in 1990 regarding the establishment of the program. I’m not sure how long it was in place (if at all) before it went away,” Treasurer Marvin Pinnecoose explained in an email. “This letter was sent by E. Gordon Gee, who was the president of the University at the time.  The program was brought back up as a collaboration with La Titia Taylor, the Education Dept., and the University of Colorado, Boulder.”  

“The Southern Ute Indian Tribe is thankful for the collaboration with our higher education partners,” Southern Ute Vice Chairman, Lorelei Cloud said. “Education is a priority, and this revitalized opportunity expands our youths’ resources to pursue higher education.” 

Leadership from the University of Colorado — including CU President Todd Saliman, Chancellor Philip DiStefano, Senior Diversity Officer Judi Diaz Bonacquisti and others joined the Southern Ute Tribal Council, the Executive Office, and the Southern Ute Education Department on Thursday, May 25 to sign the MOU between the University of Colorado and the Tribe.  

  “I want to especially thank Chairman Baker and the Tribal Council, as well as the Southern Ute Tribe Department of Education and Education Director LaTitia Taylor, for all of your efforts to encourage students to pursue higher education and to consider CU,” DiStefano said. “Our university has a responsibility to educate and to serve every community across Colorado, and so it brings us great pleasure to connect with the young people in your community.” 

  “CU Boulder has hosted several youth for pre-collegiate programs on campus, and also has enrolled a few members of the Southern Ute Tribe as students in the past several years,” DiStefano said. “Some of you may know Andrea and Marcus Bean, twins from the Southern Ute Tribe who are rising juniors at CU Boulder. Marcus is studying psychology and evolutionary biology, while Andrea is majoring in integrative physiology with a minor in ecology and evolutionary biology. Andrea said in an email that she chose to attend CU because of the environment and the opportunities – and that she wouldn’t have been able to attend without the help of the Tribe’s education program and the scholarship she received.” 

“Your students are ambitious, insightful, and creative, and they have certainly enriched the CU Boulder campus community,” he added. “These students are leaders, and they have laid the stepping stones for all who will follow them.  

“I’m confident that with the commitment of our university staff and faculty, the CU Board of Regents, and President Todd Saliman and his team, we can build a lasting partnership that serves the Southern Ute Tribe for generations to come.” 

The University of Colorado offers an array of undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degree programs and serves as the state of Colorado’s comprehensive graduate research university with campus locations in Boulder, Denver, and Colorado Springs. Founded in 1876, CU is one of the oldest academic institutions in the state. 

“I was deeply honored to take part in the Southern Ute ceremony to deliver on the partnership with CU Boulder that the university committed to many years ago,” said CU President Todd Saliman, who also took part in the formal recognition of the MOU, where he spoke to tribal dignitaries and education staff at the luncheon. “The signed agreement documents CU’s commitment that supports a path to CU for members of the Southern Ute Tribe.” 

“It’s a celebration with a little bit of remorse,” Saliman said. 

The Southern Ute Education Department feels that this scholarship is a positive step toward building stronger collaborations with CU Boulder, with hopes that it will lead to similar partnerships with other colleges within the CU system. The Education Department’s Academic Advisor, Michael Kirsch expressed his appreciation for the effort put forth by CU leadership in making this happen in such a timely manner.  

“I am so thankful for the continued relationship with CU, the MOU makes the collaboration stronger,” Southern Ute Education Department Director, LaTitia Taylor said. “I am looking forward to building programs with the University.  Also, the MOU ensures an avenue for our people to obtain professional degrees and exposure to a higher education so that they can be sustainable and secure for what this world may bring to [their] future.” 

“We are excited for members of the Southern Ute Tribe to continue their educational journey on the CU Boulder campus, and can’t wait to welcome future Buffs while continuing to serve those Southern Ute students whose journey has already begun,” Saliman said.