State Rep. Diane Loeffler
NEWS RELEASE
Minnesota House of Representatives
District 60A 651-296-4219 – rep.diane.loeffler@house.mn
503 State Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Tim O’Brien
Communications Specialist
(651) 296-8877
tim.o’brien@house.mn
HOUSE PASSES HIGHER EDUCATION BILL FREEZE TO TUITION, INCREASE LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT OF U of M and MnSCU SPENDING
ST. PAUL – On Thursday, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed the Higher Education Omnibus bill by an 84-44 vote.
Higher education tuition will be frozen at current level for the next two academic years if the House Omnibus Higher Education Bill becomes law. The House of Representatives stepped up to support higher education with $150 million in new funding – the first increase in eight years.
“I’m pleased that we are making the affordability of higher education a priority,” said Representative Diane Loeffler (DFL-Minneapolis). “For too long, tuition has been increasing dramatically, resulting in working students graduating with too much debt. Their hopes for homeownership and other steps forward after graduation have been put on hold as they spend years repaying their student loans.”
The House not only has increased the state’s investment in higher education, it carefully reviewed the systems policies and budgets to emphasize the need for all funds to be carefully used.
“There will be a shortage of skilled workers in the coming decade, and we need to make sure that the opportunity is there for all talented students to get a higher degree,” said Rep. Loeffler. “I’m hopeful that our state and federal grant programs combined with a tuition freeze will make students and their families more confident as they plan for the future.