The North Dakota University System and the North Dakota Education Association support state funding for some students at North Dakota's tribal colleges.

The organizations gave their support as part of their testimony Tuesday at the House Education Committee's hearing on HB1385. The bill, if it is passed, would provide $700,000 over the biennium to the five North Dakota tribal colleges for their students who do not qualify for federal funding. These students are either not enrolled in the tribe or are not American Indian and are considered non-beneficiary students.

The university system supports the bill, so long as it does not take away funding from the university system's 11 colleges and universities.

"The single factor to determine (the state's) success is our human capital," Chancellor Eddie Dunn said. "The tribal colleges, along with the 11 public colleges and universities, are our primary sources."

Dunn, however, does not want the $700,000 to come from the university system's $63 million request from the state. The tribal college presidents want the funding to come from the budget surplus.

The five tribal colleges are United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck, Sitting Bull College in Fort Yates, Cankdeska Cikana Community College in Fort Totten, Turtle Mountain Community College in Belcourt and Fort Berthold Community College in New Town. The funding would be for about 180 students who are not enrolled tribal members and are attending tribal colleges. This would provide about $2,000 per nonbeneficiary student.

Tribal colleges subsidize the nonbeneficiary students. The tribal colleges operate on federal grants, tuition and federal funding for enrolled tribal members. Students, regardless of classification, are charged the same tuition. There are scholarship options for enrolled members.

For nonbeneficiary members, their financial aid options are limited to federal financial aid grants, like the Pell grant, which is based on income.

Students are choosing tribal colleges because of access and then they tend to remain in the state or go on to further their education in the state, the college presidents testified. Turtle Mountain Community and Sitting Bull College provide some four-year degrees in addition to the two-year degrees.

"For every $1 you get a $20 return when a student goes out on a job or continues their education," UTTC President David Gipp said.

These educational opportunities, along with their accreditation, are among the reasons the NDEA supports the bill.

"It helps fill a need to staff the schools with qualified educators," NDEA President Gloria Lokken said. It also provides more higher education opportunities, she said.

Both Sitting Bull College and Turtle Mountain Community College offer four-year degrees in elementary education.

If the tribal colleges receive this money, the colleges could use it for things like financial aid or student support services, such as tutoring.

Beside NDUS and NDEA, the tribal college presidents and five legislators spoke in support of the bill. No one spoke in opposition of the bill.

The committee will make a recommendation, possibly next week, on the bill.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@;bismarcktribune.com.)