[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 20 (Thursday, February 1, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S1530]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CONRAD (for himself, Mr. Domenici, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. McCain, 
        Mr. Bingaman, Mr.  Kohl, and Mr. Thune):
  S. 481. A bill to recruit and retain more qualified individuals to 
teach in Tribal Colleges or Universities; to the Committee on Indian 
Affairs.
  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, 5 years ago, I formed the bipartisan Task 
Force on Tribal Colleges and Universities to raise awareness of the 
important role that the tribal colleges and universities play in their 
respective communities as educational, economic, and cultural centers. 
The Task Force seeks to advance initiatives that help improve the 
quality education the colleges provide.
  For more than 3 decades, tribal colleges have been providing a 
quality education to help Native Americans of all ages reach their 
fullest potential. More than 30,000 students from 250 tribes nationwide 
attend tribal colleges. Tribal colleges serve young people preparing to 
enter the job market, dislocated workers learning new skills, and 
people seeking to move off welfare. I am a strong supporter of our 
Nation's tribal colleges because, more than any other factor, they are 
bringing hope and opportunity to America's Indian communities.
  Over the years, I have met with many tribal college students, and I 
am always impressed by their commitment to their education, their 
families and their communities. Tribal colleges and universities have 
been highly successful in helping Native Americans obtain a higher 
education. Congress has recognized the importance of these institutions 
and the significant gains they have achieved in helping more 
individuals obtain their education. While Congress has steadily 
increased its financial support of these institutions, many challenges 
still remain.
  One of the challenges that the tribal college presidents have 
expressed to me is the frustration and difficulty they have in 
attracting qualified individuals to teach at the colleges. Recruitment 
and retention are difficult for many of the colleges because of their 
geographic isolation and low faculty salaries.
  To help tackle the challenges of recruiting and retaining qualified 
faculty, I am introducing the Tribal Colleges and Universities Faculty 
Loan Forgiveness Act. This legislation will provide student loan 
forgiveness to individuals who commit to teach for up to five years in 
one of the tribal colleges nationwide. Individuals who have Perkins, 
Direct, or Guaranteed loans may qualify to receive up to $15,000 in 
loan forgiveness. This will provide these institutions with extra help 
in attracting qualified faculty, and thus help ensure that deserving 
students receive a quality education. Finally, the bill also includes 
loan forgiveness for nursing instructors at the few tribal colleges 
with accredited nursing programs. Nursing instructors currently receive 
loans through the Department of Health and Human Services for their 
training. As a result, without the added provision in this bill, they 
would not qualify for assistance.
  I would be remiss if I did not recognize that former Senator Daschle 
was responsible for spearheading this initiative for a number of years. 
The tribal colleges lost a true champion, but I am pleased to carry 
forward his vision and support for the colleges.
  I am pleased that Senators Domenici, Dorgan, McCain, Bingaman, Kohl 
and Thune are original cosponsors of this bill, and I look forward to 
working with my colleagues to pass this important legislation.
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