I am 30 years old and serving my first term in the Minnesota House of Representatives. The steep learning curve notwithstanding, I have already received an education on the priorities at the Legislature.
Outside the Capitol, one of the issues I hear most about is student loan debt. My constituents and other Minnesotans share horror stories about how student loan debt is crippling our generation. Recent graduates have to put off getting married, delay buying homes or cars, and even resort to living with their parents.
For a decade, funding for Minnesota’s public colleges and universities remained flat or was cut, resulting in tuition nearly doubling. Consequently, those who still desired to continue their education were forced to either leave Minnesota or take on unimaginable amounts of debt. Countless others chose to discontinue educational pursuits because of their inability to pay. All of these scenarios are unacceptable.
Then, in 2013, the DFL majority froze tuition and increased grant funds for students in Minnesota. In doing so, it finally reversed the trend where the burden of budget cuts was placed on the backs of students.
Indeed, my top priority this session has been education. I introduced a bill (HF 1716) that would provide Minnesotans with student loan debt with up to $5,000 in relief in the form of a refundable tax credit. It’s an ambitious bill that has the potential to help approximately one million Minnesotans immediately.
This last week, this HF 1716 was up for a hearing in the Committee on Higher Education Policy and Finance. I felt optimistic about the bill’s chances because the Committee’s Republican chair is a coauthor. After some positive discussion, I was very disappointed when Republicans on the Committee voted against the bill, which essentially killed it.
Minnesota college students and graduates across our state are struggling with the fourth highest average student loan debt amount in the United States. This is an issue that demands our attention at the Legislature and should not be a partisan issue.
Certainly, this is a matter of priorities. We have a $1.9 billion surplus and if we cannot make progress on college affordability, we are failing Minnesotans. Outside the Capitol, addressing student loan debt is a priority for members of my generation and regular, working families in Minnesota – it should be a priority inside the Capitol, too.
Sincerely,
Jon Applebaum
DFL-Minnetonka