Weekly Edition| Thursday | Dec. 12, 2012| By: NP-Staff
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WINDOW ROCK – Recently, during a Jan. 5 meeting the Naa’bik’iyati’ Committee of the 22nd Navajo Council took immediate action to resolve the funding issues with Navajo Nation scholarship for college students to pay for 2012 spring semester.

According to the release by the legislative office, a report was provided by Maxine Damon, Senior Financial Aid Counselor for Fort Defiance Agency, and Sheila Tsosie, Senior Accountant, in which they stated that funding issues stemmed from delays from the federal government.

“Our contract ended in December 2011 and we renegotiated the contract for 2012,” Damon added. “The renegotiation is based on a timeline of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and currently we still have one more meeting to attend on January 18 and after that we should receive our funding.”

According to a release by the Presidents office, the Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly applauded the effort and made $6 million available for scholarships.

“We need to make sure our students have money for spring semester  of college. We are going to do everything we can to ensure that our Navajo students receive the scholarships they were promised in a timely fashion.” said Navajo President Ben Shelly

The money will be available through the Navajo scholarship and financial assistants office.

After hearing the brief report, Council Delegates fired back to President Shelly and the office of the controller.

“the President’s office, the scholarship office, and the Office of the Controller should have made prior arrangements to ensure that students received financial support.” said Council Delegates Duane Tsinigine (Bodaway/Gap, Coppermine, K’ai’Bii’To, LeChee, Tonalea/Redlake) and Leonard Tsosie (Baca/Prewitt, Casamero Lake, Counselor, Littlewater, Ojo Encino, Pueblo Pintado, Torreon, Whitehorse Lake)

The Delegates also added that this was not the first time this has occurred and asked the presenters why protocols are not in place to protect the educational endeavors of Navajo Nation college students.

“I’m going to sponsor legislation and I hope you will all sign on with me as co-sponsors so that we can do whatever is necessary. I am going to direct our Legislative Counsel and Department of Justice to treat this as an emergency item. We cannot fail our children, our students, the way the Executive Branch has. Let’s get money to our students now,” stated Council Delegate Katherine Benally (Chilchinbeto, Dennehotso, Kayenta).

Speaker Johnny Naize (Low Mountain, Many Farms, Nazlini, Tachee/Blue Gap, Tselani/Cottonwood) asked the Department of Justice how the situation of delayed funding was handled in the past.

“How it was handled in the past was that the Controller’s Office lent the money to the scholarship office then when the BIA money came in it was replenished,” Dana Bobroff, Deputy Attorney General for the Navajo Nation Department of Justice, commented. “Legislation was not required but the Controller’s office should get authorization from the Budget and Finance Committee.”

According to the release, the controller released the $6 million, however that will have to be replenished at such time, when funds from the Bureau of Indian Affairs are appropriated to the Navajo Nation.

It is estimated that 3,000 college student will need funding for 2012 spring semester.  The checks are expected to be mailed to the universities and colleges by no later than next week, Friday, January 13, 2012.