In a news story released yesterday by the Tulsa World it was falsely reported that nearly 200 students were told they would receive less money than they were previously promised by the Osage Department of Education. This gross misrepresentation of the facts was propagated by a few of the tribe’s very own congressional members during an emergency meeting called by the congressional Education Committee. The meeting was called with only an hour and a half notice when some students complained to congressional members they received fewer funds this semester than they had received last semester from the Education Department. In response to the impromptu meeting and news article Principal Chief Jim Gray stated “this whole incident could have been avoided if those members of Congress who called the meeting just had the respect to call me or my Office to obtain the facts, their preference to sensationalize this by discrediting the Nation and misleading the public is truly disappointing”.

Ironically, the changes being made within the Education Department which spurred this controversy were prompted by the Education Committee of the Osage Nation Congress. Over the last year, the Education Committee has requested information from the Education Department about its financial assistance programs, including how each program is structured, how funds are distributed, and what systems are in place to promote accountability in the expenditure of those funds. This process has been ongoing, and it is the goal of both the Education Department and the Chief’s Office to address the concerns of members of Congress while maintaining its obligations to assist Osage students in pursuit of their academic goals. Principal Chief Jim Gray commented “I fully support providing increased funding to all Osage students going to college and believe that no Osage student should be denied or have to delay their education due to lack of resources”. “In fact, we are striving toward 100% of tuition, fees and books to be covered for every Osage regardless of where they chose to attend college as this kind of incentive encourages Osages to do their best.” “I can reassure parents that we will work individually with each student to ensure they receive as much financial assistance as is available from the Osage Nation.” Currently, each Osage student is eligible to receive $3500 per semester which falls short of covering tuition at private colleges & universities, but does cover tuition expenses at most in state universities.

The issues have been clouded over the last year as requests from Congress have been accompanied by conflicting information from the different individual committee members as to which expenses are eligible for financial assistance. This has led to a discussion regarding which programs were available to which individuals, and whether the addition of certain criteria to some programs might limit availability. As part of this discussion, the Chief’s Office has worked with the Education Department to identify the tax implications of some of these programs, in an effort to minimize liability to both the students and to the Nation. In the course of these communications, some of the more complicated legal considerations have yet to be unraveled which has slowed disbursements, which has been incorrectly construed by a certain few members of the Osage Congress as an attempt to decrease the amount of financial assistance available to students. Robert Hyatt, Director of the Education Department, clarified that “no Osage student has been told that they would receive less money this year and in fact scholarship funding for tuition, fees and books in amounts up to $3500 are being disbursed immediately for all completed applications received so far, however, funds for room and board have not yet been disbursed due to us transitioning to a revised application process for those monies which, unfortunately, has led to a misunderstanding”.

Chief Gray and the Executive Branch want all Osage students to know they remain committed to assisting Osage students in the pursuit of their academic goals and that the misstatements and inaccurate details reported in the Tulsa World should be ignored. A letter is being sent out to all parents and students receiving financial aid from the Nation, explaining how to access the additional funds that will be available under the full array of scholarship programs. Contrary to the comments reported in the Tulsa World article, the Education Department is not decreasing funding to financial aid. Rather, the number of areas in which students can apply for assistance is actually being increased. It is the goal of the Chief’s Office to assist all Osages in accessing this information and taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the Nation to its members.