St. Paul, Minn. – The House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee today announced a new budget that puts students first by making college more affordable, reducing debt, and improving health and safety on campus. According to the U.S. Department of Education, there are 775,000 Minnesotans with student debt totaling $27.1 billion.
A fact sheet with more information about the budget is available for download here (this version includes corrected information about average benefit increases for full-time students enrolled in the state grant program).
“Minnesotans from all backgrounds deserve a fair shot at earning a quality post-secondary education,” said Chair Bernardy. “The House DFL Higher Education budget eases the financial burden on working families and students, expands eligibility for grants, and will fill gaps in Minnesota’s workforce shortage.”
The budget freezes tuition for Minnesota students at all of the state’s two- and four-year public colleges and universities, and increases financial support for working families by investing an additional $35.4 million in the state grant program. As a result, full-time students who benefit from the state grant program will receive on average more than $400 per year more in financial assistance, and 1,900 more Minnesotans will become eligible for the first time.
“All Minnesotans deserve access to the education and job training they need to get jobs with wages and benefits that will support their families,” said House Speaker Melissa Hortman. “Our Minnesota Values Budget proposes to freeze tuition at our public colleges and universities. Too many students face the prospect of taking on student loan debt to pursue a college education. College should be more affordable and our tuition freeze would help.”
“Years of Republican underfunding of our colleges and universities has led to skyrocketing tuition and student loan debt for Minnesotans,” said Majority Leader Ryan Winkler. “Now, many Minnesotans are delaying important life decisions like buying a house or starting a family because they are so in debt. This is unacceptable and House DFLers will continue to work to fix this problem.”
To help keep students safe and healthy, House DFLers are prioritizing access to mental health services and legal advocacy support for sexual assault survivors. Additionally, the budget creates hunger-free campuses with the aim to end food insecurity among students.
“Minnesota college students need the ability to take advantage of their opportunities to learn, achieve, and succeed,” said Rep. Laurie Pryor (DFL-Minnetonka), the Higher Education Division Vice Chair. “Unfortunately experiencing trauma, being unable to access meals regularly, and other challenges prevent this. This budget has creative solutions to increase food access, mental health support, and services for sexual assault survivors.”
The Minnesota House is expected to vote on the budget by the end of the month. It received a public hearing on Wednesday, April 3rd. The Higher Education budget spreadsheet produced by the nonpartisan Minnesota House Fiscal Analysis Department is available for download here.
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