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Native students have the lowest college attendance rates of any ethnic and racial group. One of the biggest barriers is the cost. To tackle this, Colorado lawmakers passed a bill last year that requires state schools to offer in-state tuition to any student who is a member of a Native Nation with historical ties to the state, regardless of where they live. This fall, Metropolitan State University of Denver took this a step further, removing this financial barrier altogether.

Free tuition for Indigenous students is catching on through state actions and campus plans.

MSU Denver is Colorado’s largest open-access higher ed institution. Enrollment declines there mean fewer first-generation college students are pursuing opportunities.

Metropolitan State University of Denver will no longer require Native and Indigenous students to pay tuition or fees. The university made the announcement last week during a graduation ceremony.

Every year, students applying to college leave money on the table — a lot of it. In Colorado alone, the unclaimed funds total about $30 million, according to the state Department of Education.