If you are a Native American living in Massachusetts, you may qualify for tuition assistance at a state college or university, including UMass Dartmouth and Bristol Community College.

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) Commission on Indian Affairs (CIA) says, “Over the last three decades, the Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs has assisted in the determination of eligibility of Native Americans living in Massachusetts for tuition credits (formerly known as the tuition waiver) at state colleges and universities.”

The CIA is authorized by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education to “certify that applicants are of Native American descent” and eligible for the tuition break.

The Commission on Indian Affairs “uses membership in a Massachusetts tribal group (tribe, band, or clan) that is acknowledged by the Commission as a legitimate, historical tribal group as a criterion for making decisions on the eligibility of students for the tuition credit.”

Some Native Americans whose tribes are outside of Massachusetts may also be eligible for tuition credits.

To be considered for the tuition credit, applicants must be Native American, a Massachusetts resident, and enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at a Massachusetts college or university.

The CIA’s webpage has a link to a list of participating colleges and universities and a link to the Tuition Credit Form. Proof of residency and tribal membership/affiliation is required.

The deadline to apply for the tax credit for the fall semester is July 15, and December 15 for the spring semester.

The site can also help with housing needs.

A firewall designed to prevent cyberattacks and hacking was to blame for the 911 outage that hit Massachusetts this week, state officials said Wednesday. Massachusetts’ 911 system was down for about two hours Tuesday, making it impossible for anyone to reach emergency services using the number. In a statement Wednesday, the Massachusetts State 911 Department said it determined the outage, which lasted from 1:15pm to 3:15pm, was due to a safety feature that prevents cyberattacks, though the reason for that is still under review, the AP reports.

While some calls didn’t go through, the state said the system “allows dispatch centers to identify the phone number of callers and return those calls.” As a result, the department was not aware of any emergencies being negatively affected by the outage. At the time of the outage, Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said it was important for residents to know alternative ways of getting help, particularly given the hot weather heading toward the Northeast. He advised the public to contact local police departments if necessary.

In another recent 911 outage, services in four states were interrupted when a crew installing a light pole cut into a fiber line. “You and I and everybody take 911 for granted,” Brian Fontes, chief executive of the National Emergency Number Association advocacy group, told the New York Times on Tuesday. “We just always expect it to work. And, to be truthful, it works very well on good days.” He added: “Not every day is a good day, as we’ve seen in Massachusetts today.” (More 911 stories.)

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) – State officials have been able to determine what happened Tuesday that caused 911 services to be disrupted statewide.

According to the Massachusetts State 911 Department the outage was caused by a firewall.

“A preliminary investigation conducted by the State 911 Department and (911 vendor) Comtech determined that the outage was the result of a firewall, a safety feature that provides protection against cyberattacks and hacking. The firewall prevented calls from getting to the 911 dispatch centers …” the Department said Wednesday morning.

The interruption to the system started at about 1:15 p.m. Tuesday and lasted for about 2 hours.

By 3:15 p.m. the 911 system was back up and running as normal.

[ Statewide 911 service restored across Massachusetts]

“Comtech’s initial review of the incident has confirmed that the interruption was not the result of a cyberattack or hack; However, the exact reason the firewall stopped calls from reaching dispatch centers remains under review,” noted the MA State 911 Dep.

State officials report that Comtech has applied a technical solution to “ensure that this does not happen again.”

“The Massachusetts State 911 Department is deeply committed to providing reliable, state-of-the-art 911 services to all Massachusetts residents and visitors in an emergency. The Department will take all necessary steps to prevent a future occurrence,” explained Frank Pozniak, the Department’s Executive Director.

We’re told while the 911 system was disrupted on Tuesday, there were no reports of any emergencies being impacted.

“The State 911 Department wishes to thank state and local emergency response agencies for their swift response to this matter.”

This marks the second time this year the 911 system has been disrupted in MA.

Back on April 12, several communities across the commonwealth, including Springfield, were impacted by an outage to the 911 system.

In that case, a network issue at one of the 911 Department’s data centers was determined to be the cause.

[READ MORE: Springfield’s 911 system back online following statewide issue]

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