Cowlitz Tribe's tuition assistance powers generations of graduates

When Rosalie Fish was considering the University of Washington, the price tag looked steep. Cross-country and track had paid for her first two years of community college, but she'd need help to afford the cost of a four-year university.

The Cowlitz Tribe, through its generous tuition assistance program for members, made it happen. A few years later, when she went back to UW for a master's in social work, the tribe supported her again.

"I got to focus on my education, and not think about how I was gonna get by," said Fish, who graduated with her M.S.W. last week.

Fish's journey would have been difficult to imagine during the early years of the Cowlitz Tribe's tuition assistance program, when tribal leaders sometimes could only scrape together $40 or $50 for scholarships.

Before the tribe's federal recognition in 2000 and before the ilani casino rose in 2017 along Interstate 5, the college fund survived on donations and determination. It has existed in some form since at least 1974.

"Even when we were penniless, people valued education so much," said Mike Iyall, a tribal member who volunteered to run the program with his wife, Joan, for eight years.

Today, thanks to revenues from the casino and land claim settlements, the tribe supports nearly 300 students a year with tuition assistance, helping pay for everything from trade certificates to medical school.

Educational assistance programs are relatively common among federally recognized tribes, many of which use tribal revenues to help members pursue college degrees, vocational training and other postsecondary credentials. But education has been a priority for the Cowlitz Tribe since long before it had substantial resources, and tribal leaders say the program serves an additional purpose beyond helping members afford school.

Unlike many tribal nations, which received federal recognition earlier, the Cowlitz Tribe does not have a population-based reservation where members live. Its roughly 5,000 members are spread across the Pacific Northwest, throughout the United States and even overseas. The tuition assistance program currently serves students in 32 states, making it both an educational benefit and a way of maintaining support for members across a far-flung tribal community.

"It's a unity factor for the tribe," said Mike.

The ancestral lands of the Cowlitz Tribe span west of the Cascades from Olympia down to Portland, though the boundaries are not crisp. Those lands were also inhabited by families from other tribes, said Mike. The tribe's current reservation is near Ridgefield in Clark County.

Fish, from an intertribal family, grew up north of those lands, on the Muckleshoot reservation, and as a result did not have many interactions with Cowlitz people until adulthood.

Since her first canoe journey with the tribe at 18 years old, and now, through supporting her education, "They've gotten me through so much," she said.

"It's rare to get that kind of service and compassion when you're going through these systems," said Fish, 25, referring to the tribe's support to help her navigate applying for financial aid, in addition to providing the scholarship.

After graduation, Fish wants to work for a social services agency as a tribal liaison, advocating on behalf of Indigenous communities.

According to tribal leaders, the program supported 34 students in 2010. By the 2017-18 academic year, that number had risen to 46. After the opening of ilani, the program capacity surged. Today, the tribe typically supports between 285 and 300 students annually.

Carol Burnison, who has managed the program since 2018, said the tribe can accommodate any member who's interested.

The program supports vocational certificates, associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, graduate programs and doctorates. Students can receive up to $7,000 annually for associate degrees, $14,000 for bachelor's degrees and $21,000 for graduate programs, along with additional stipends for books, supplies and living expenses.

"The sky's the limit," Burnison said.

Unlike many scholarship programs that steer students toward specific careers, the Cowlitz Tribe allows members to decide their own educational paths. There are no strings attached - save for solid academic performance - and students aren't obligated to work for the tribe after graduating. They can apply for funds at any time throughout the year.

"Education is an investment in the tribal members and the future of the tribal community," Joan said.

Several recipients of the tuition assistance program said they were motivated to attend school because they knew they'd be supported by the tribe.

Among them is Randle Kinswa, who graduated from Gonzaga University School of Law this spring and is preparing for the bar exam. Kinswa learned about the tuition assistance program while still in high school. Knowing the tribe would help cover much of his undergraduate education influenced his decision to attend Eastern Washington University, allowing him to save money for law school later.

Today, Kinswa plans to begin his legal career in Seattle, but hopes to become more involved in tribal affairs in the future.

The program has also opened doors for members who choose alternatives to a collegiate environment.

Austin McMahan, 28, grew up on a dairy farm near Randall and went into the workforce right out of high school, most recently as a postal worker.

Last year, he enrolled in an eight-week heavy equipment certification program in Woodland, but worried about taking time away from work and covering the cost of tuition.

"Tuition assistance did make me feel more sure overall about my decision to go," McMahan said.

Since graduating, his opportunities for work have expanded. He's now on-call to work in forestry management during wildfire season, and hopes to get a position working in heavy equipment operation in fly-in-fly-out mining.

Cowlitz members who grew up when the tribe had more limited funding are also benefiting from the program.

Melissa Halvorsen, 51, said she grew up poor and didn't have an opportunity to go to college before starting a family.

After a divorce and the loss of a family business, she decided to start college in her late 40s. The tuition assistance program helped her earn a double major in human resources management and business administration, followed by a master's degree in organizational leadership.

"There was no way I could've paid for it," without the scholarship, Halvorsen said. "It's such a blessing. It made dreams come true."

Today, she works for the tribe as the elders program manager and serves on several tribal boards, part of a growing group of tuition assistance recipients who have returned to contribute to tribal programs and leadership.

The program's success, tribe members say, stems not only from the financial support but from the relationships that accompany it. Burnison and her staff work closely with students, helping them navigate financial aid paperwork, academic setbacks and personal challenges.

If students struggle in their academic journeys, the goal is support rather than punishment.

"We recognize you might stumble," Mike said. "And if you do, so what? Dust yourself off and get back to it."

For Mike and Joan Iyall, who spent years running the program from their own home, the payoff is visible in the generations of graduates who have followed.

Former recipients now work for the tribe, serve on committees and boards, and increasingly run for tribal leadership positions. Others have become homeowners, educators, attorneys and business leaders.

"It's economic development delivered at the family level," said Mike.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.