Higher education conference committee amends omnibus proposal, seeks unity

Legislators have focused this session on providing affordability, accountability and accessibility for post-secondary education while crafting a proposal they hope Gov. Mark Dayton will ultimately approve.

A conference committee approved amendments Monday for HF2477/SF2214*, the omnibus higher education finance bill. Conferees will seek to approve a unified proposal — finance and policy — later in the week. (See the proposed agreement)

Sponsored by Rep. Bud Nornes (R-Fergus Falls) and Senate President Michelle Fischbach (R-Paynesville), the bill proposes $3.19 billion in General Fund spending during the 2018-19 biennium, an increase of $125 million from the current two-year total.

The Office of Higher Education would receive $496 million during the biennium, a $28.5 million increase.

The University of Minnesota would receive $1.2 billion over the 2018-19 biennium, an increase of $18.6 million over the period. The university’s budget request earlier in session was a $147.2 million increase.

Minnesota State would receive $1.4 billion over the biennium, an increase of $77.7 million. System officials requested $178 million in new biennial funding.

A policy provision would require Minnesota State to freeze tuition at all state colleges during the 2017-18 academic year and reduce tuition by 1 percent in 2018-19. It would also freeze tuition at Minnesota State universities during the 2018-19 academic year.

The proposal also “encourages” a tuition freeze at the University of Minnesota over the biennium, but due to the university’s constitutional autonomy, the state cannot require it to adhere to legislative requests.

It remains to be seen whether policy provisions contained within the bill will warrant a veto from Dayton, who has said since the beginning of session he does not want policy provisions within finance omnibus bills.