DENVER - Colorado lawmakers Thursday advanced sending a message to Congress asking it to reimburse the state for Native American tuition at Fort Lewis College.

The Durango-based college is one of only two schools in the nation that provides free tuition to Native Americans as part of an agreement that dates to 1910. For the past 104 years, the school has honored that commitment.

But costs have climbed to more than $16 million per year, which represents the primary source of state funding received by the college. That has become an increasing burden on the state budget.

"We need to continue to remind Congress that the real impact on the state of Colorado is pretty severe when we're taking every eligible student from all 50 states, saying that they can have free tuition out of our state budget when this is really a national, or even international, program," said Sen. Kent Lambert, R-Colorado Springs, a member of the Joint Budget Committee.

The college currently serves Native American students from about 155 tribes across 48 states, a little more than 1,100 students, or about 30 percent of the student body.

The issue has not fallen on deaf ears for most of the Colorado congressional delegation, including Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, and Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo. But for years, other members of Congress have ignored the subject.

Tipton introduced legislation, and Gardner is working on a companion proposal.

Tipton's bill would require the federal government to help cover the tuition costs for out-of-state students. The University of Minnesota, the other school to participate in the program, also would benefit from the bill.

"The state of Colorado is currently forced to carry the weight of an unfunded federal mandate, which has created uncertainty for this vital program at Fort Lewis College that satisfies our nation's treaty obligations and ensures that many talented and bright Native American Indian students have the opportunity to get a quality education," Tipton said. "Should the state face a budget shortfall, this program could be at risk."

Danny Tomlinson, the lobbyist for FLC, said the school's president, Dene Kay Thomas, has made it her "goal and mission" to receive federal help. Thomas was in Washington, D.C., as recently as two weeks ago to discuss the issue.

"We sincerely hope that you can support this important memorial," Tomlinson said. "It is sometimes termed a 'letter to Santa Claus,' but we're hoping it has more impact."