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<p class="MsoNormal">Good afternoon, OASFAA,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Please see the following email (below my signature line) and attachment from Dr. Pruitt with the SREB about a new law related to tuition rates for students from the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or
the Republic of Palau. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Best wishes,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Dr. Colbi Beam<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Associate Vice Chancellor for State Grants and Scholarships<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia",serif">Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">655 Research Parkway, Suite 200<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif">Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border:none;padding:0in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif"><a href="mailto:cbeam@osrhe.edu">cbeam@osrhe.edu</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">-- THIS E-MAIL WAS RECEIVED FROM AN EXTERNAL SOURCE-- <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Good afternoon all!</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Aptos"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">I’m writing because I wanted to bring this legislation to your attention. You may already know about this, but just in case I wanted to share as I became aware of it on Monday. This may
or may not impact your institutions, but </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">As you may know, the Compacts of Free Association are the diplomatic agreements (basically treaties) that establish their unique relationships with the U.S. and make their students eligible
for Title IV aid and a host of other programs. President Biden recently signed the legislation ratifying the agreement and implementing the U.S. provisions (attached) and there is a section in which the U.S. has agreed to require U.S. public institutions to
offer in-state tuition to the residents of the Freely Associated states (Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Republic of Palau – all of which are members of WICHE).
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Attached is the statute that passed. Most is irrelevant. The language implementing the compacts starts on page 395. The specific language is on 417 and excerpted here:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">(b) AUTHORIZATION OF EDUCATION PROGRAMS.—</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">(1) ELIGIBILITY.—For fiscal year 2024 and each fiscal year thereafter, the Government of the United States shall—</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">…</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">“(E) require, as a condition of eligibility for a public institution of higher education in any State (as defined in section 103 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1003)) that
is not a Freely Associated State to participate in or receive funds under any program under title IV of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.), that the institution charge students who are citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall
Islands, or the Republic of Palau tuition for attendance at a rate that is not greater than the rate charged for residents of the State in which such public institution of higher education is located.”</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">I’m sharing this with you because
<a href="https://www.mei.ngo/marshallese-in-arkansas">more than 15,000 Marshallese live in northwest Arkansas and in nearby communities</a> (some in the Midwest) and could have impacts on the institutions there. You will see below that FSA issued an electronic
announcement on Monday regarding the new Compact provisions on Title IV: <a href="https://fsapartners.ed.gov/knowledge-center/library/electronic-announcements/2024-04-29/state-tuition-and-title-iv-eligibility-citizens-freely-associated-states">
https://fsapartners.ed.gov/knowledge-center/library/electronic-announcements/2024-04-29/state-tuition-and-title-iv-eligibility-citizens-freely-associated-states</a>.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">We are expecting more to come but this goes into effect on July 1, 2024. I recognize there are many issues with this, including but not limited to the fact that this seems to be the first
time that the federal government is setting tuition policy, but the law has been passed. We suspect that many institutions are unaware of this requirement, so one of the things I would suggest is informing your institutions about this new provision.
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Also, I will work on setting a time for us to meet to discuss the FAFSA strategies.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Stephen</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Stephen L. Pruitt, Ph.D.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">President</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Southern Regional Education Board</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">592 10th Street, N.W.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Atlanta, Georgia 30318-9211</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">(404) 879-5601</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><a href="mailto:Stephen.Pruitt@sreb.org"><span style="color:#0563C1">Stephen.Pruitt@sreb.org</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">SREB.org</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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