Sen. Rich Draheim (R-Madison Lake) and Senate Republicans last night showed their commitment to Advancing Minnesota’s colleges and universities by passing Senate File 2214, a $3.17 billion investment into our higher education system. The bill focuses on easing burdens for students, maintaining the stability, achieving new research breakthroughs, and planning for future workforce pressures.
“If Minnesota wants to continue to have a thriving economy, we have to invest in higher education,” said Sen. Draheim, the Higher Education Committee’s vice chairman. “A strong post-secondary system doesn’t just help us recruit and retain future leaders and innovators; it builds the robust workforce that keeps our state healthy. This budget puts the needs of students first by strengthening the student grant program, implementing a tuition freeze for MNSCU students, and boosting workforce training.”
The Senate Republican plan includes $10 million for the Minnesota State Grant program and a two-year tuition freeze at Minnesota State institutions to make college more affordable and accessible for low-and-middle income Minnesotans. The University of Minnesota operates as an independent body, but the Republican budget requests the University freeze tuition as well. The bill also appropriates $350,000 for emergency financial assistance for students facing homelessness.
The Higher Education budget increases funding by $53 million to Minnesota State and $27 million to the University of Minnesota for their operations, and delivers $3 million for assistance to two-year institutions in Greater Minnesota.
“The $10 million boost for the state grant program will make college more affordable for all students,” continued Sen. Draheim. “In addition, private, non-profit colleges will benefit from relief from academic program regulations included in this bill.”
“I’m particularly proud our commitment to Higher Education includes two bills that I worked hard on this year,” added Sen. Draheim. “Senate File 1559 improves transparency at higher education institutions by requiring them to disclose expensive contracts for work performed by independent consultants, and Senate File 1324 is a loan forgiveness program to incentivize large animal veterinarians to practice in rural areas.”
Finally, the Republican proposal makes research and innovation a top priority, with $6 million for spinal cord and traumatic brain injury research, $4 million for the Minnesota Discovery, Research, and InnoVation Economy program at the University of Minnesota for advanced cancer research, and $2 million to expand research by the Natural Resources Research Institute on agriculture, forestry, mining, and water resources.
“There’s still more to be done, and I am going to keep working to make sure our higher education institutions get the critical funding they need to continue preparing the leaders of tomorrow,” concluded Sen. Draheim.