On Monday the Minnesota Senate passed a Higher Education Policy bill that creates additional mandates for higher education institutions and fails to address the true concerns of students and families – those being the rising cost of tuition, lack of affordability, long term student debt, and campus safety concerns. Bipartisan measures in the bill assist students with disabilities, expand options for students who are parenting, and prioritize student protections.
“Today’s bill is proof that we can work in bipartisan ways to offer solutions for students and educators in higher education institutions,” said Senator Zach Duckworth (R-Lakeville), who serves as the Republican Lead on the Senate Higher Education Committee. “There are several other portions of this bill that could use additional work, which is why Senate Republicans offered multiple amendments to make this bill stronger and more student-focused. I’m glad some of them were accepted and added to the bill – our students will be better served as a result.”
The most notable inclusion of a provision with bipartisan support makes changes to the Fostering Independence Grants (FIG) program. It was announced earlier this year that the program was facing a $5 million shortfall, leaving many students questioning if they were able to head to college as planned. This program was created in 2021 as the brainchild of a bipartisan group of legislators and sought to allow Minnesota residents under the age of 27 who were in the Minnesota foster care system at any point after their thirteenth birthday to receive grants to cover attendance at eligible Minnesota public or private colleges. This bill corrects how grants are awarded, ensuring those who already received the grants will be given priority going forward. An additional financial fix is expected to be forthcoming.
“I am relieved that we could provide assurance to students who were counting on the FIG program to guide them through college,” said Senator Jason Rarick (R-Pine City). “Foster students often face incredible hardships that make the path to higher education challenging and daunting. We promised these kids a viable solution, and this bill shows that we intend to deliver on that promise.”
One portion of the bill defines “academic freedom” and expands it to all faculty members at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. This section allows college educators to teach and publish findings without interference from political figures, boards of trustees, donors, or other entities. Senate Republicans successfully offered an amendment to this section that also establishes student rights under the Academic Freedom Protection section of the bill. The bill’s original language only covered faculty, and this amendment extends those protections to students.
Senate Republicans offered an amendment that would have established a legal residency requirement as a condition for eligibility for the North Star Promise program. To ensure that Minnesota taxpayers are not funding benefits for those who have broken the law, the amendment’s language would have restricted access to the program to only those legally present in Minnesota.
Senate Republicans offered multiple additional amendments:
- Providing fairness to students who are eligible for the “North Star Promise” program by extending it to private schools within the state
- Ensuring free college benefits are offered only to those in Minnesota legally
“Although it could benefit from some improvements, I think we have a decent bill to work with as we move forward. We need to focus on Minnesota students by keeping college affordable, providing them as many options as we can, and ensuring their safety while on campus. That’s how we will help develop the high quality future leaders of Minnesota,” finished Duckworth.
The bill passed 41-26.