ST. PAUL— On Wednesday, the Senate Higher Education Committee passed their budget which provides crucial investments in the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. The bill is student-focused and works to keep college affordable for students across the state.
“College affordability is a priority of mine.” said Draheim. “I’m happy that this bipartisan bill focuses on the pressing needs that many college students have and expands program funds so more students are eligible for state grants. College students take on a considerable financial burden and we should be helping them to obtain their goals, not restricting them.”
Making college more affordable is at the heart of the Senate’s Higher Education Budget. The bill includes a 10% reduction of the family contribution in the state grant program. This will directly help middle-class families who have been expected to pay far more than they can afford for college.
Several additional investments in college affordability programs are made in the bill including Senator Draheim’s “Z-Degree” program requiring 8 more colleges to offer zero-textbook cost associates degrees. Additionally, this bill allocates a $4 million increase in workforce scholarships requiring a 5% tuition cut for students attending Minnesota State schools, and a 3% tuition cut for U of M students. Furthermore, the bill establishes a new grant program that allows teens who entered foster care to attend college for free at any participating public or private school in Minnesota.
The bill also requires Minnesota State to refund students who were charged an extra online course fee during the pandemic. Minnesota State estimates they charged this extra fee for 205,118 credits in the 2020-21 academic year which adds up to $4.3 million of extra charges to students for online course delivery which most students would not have chosen themselves. Most college students rightfully think they should get a discount for a year of courses delivered online and not charged more.
The budget establishes several new student-centered programs to address the most pressing issues facing students this year including reducing tuition, increasing student aid and scholarships, decreasing textbook costs, addressing food and housing insecurity, and increasing mental health supports. Finally, the bill includes $500 COVID risk stipends for faculty who had to teach class face to face in Spring 2021 when vaccines were available, but they were excluded from prioritization by the Walz’s Administration.