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State Representative Gene Pelowski Jr.
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-8637
For more information contact: Sandy Connolly 651-296-8877
Column/LTE
AS TUITION RISES AT MINNESOTA COLLEGES, INCOMES LAG
Last week at the Capitol, students from the Minnesota State College Student Association visited me to talk about their number one concern when it comes to higher education: the rising cost of tuition. They shared with me the results of a study that shows the dramatic increase in tuition at a public two-year college in Minnesota. In 1996, average tuition was $1,800; in 2006, the same tuition was $3,994. This makes Minnesota the third highest in the nation when it comes to tuition at our community colleges- a distinction that is nothing to be proud of.
There was another report that caught my attention on the same day. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, personal income in Minnesota slipped last year in comparison to other states, dropping us from 7th to 9th in per capital personal income. Even more troubling, however, is the fact that our state had one of the lowest growth rates in the nation. The data that was released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis shows that nationally, per capita incomes grew by 4.6 percent last year; in Minnesota, incomes grew by just 3.3 percent.
When asked about the report, the assistant director of labor-market information for the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development was quoted as saying, "We're beginning to look more average. It goes against everything we believe in about ourselves".
This is a sad truth. In Minnesota, we have always considered ourselves to be above average, and we secured the future by adequately funding education. Our students consistently ranked among the top in the nation, and for years we remained in the top five when it comes to the percentage of our workforce with post-secondary education degrees. This educated workforce drove the economic engine of our state, resulting in a robust job market and personal income growth.
Over the past few years, instead of making these traditional investments in education, this administration declared as its mantra "no new taxes" and subsequently, changed the direction in which our state is moving. Many of our students can no longer afford to continue their education, and those who do, leave with record high debt. It makes you wonder-how much more below average will we be if these policies continue?
Rep. Gene Pelowski is a teacher at Winona High School and is the lead Democrat on the Higher Education Finance Committee. He also serves on the Capital Investment and Education Policy and Reform Committees.
News Items
- REP. GENE PELOWSKI: MINNESOTA STATUTE 12A IMPROVES STATE DISASTER RECOVERY PROCESS AND DISASTER RELIEF PACKAGE - (Posted: 2012-08-24 00:00:00)
- REP. GENE PELOWSKI AND SEN. JEREMY MILLER SUPPORT TWO-BRIDGE PROPOSAL - (Posted: 2012-08-23 00:00:00)
- REP. GENE PELOWSKI: STATE DISASTER RECOVERY PACKAGE SHOULD FOLLOW PROCESS OUTLINED IN 12A AND INCLUDE PUBLIC INPUT - (Posted: 2012-08-16 00:00:00)
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