Rep. John Persell
NEWS RELEASE
Minnesota House of Representatives
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Matt Privratsky 651-296-6860
April 25, 2013
HOUSE PASSES HIGHER EDUCATION BILL FREEZE TO TUITION, INCREASE LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT OF U of M and MnSCU SPENDING
ST. PAUL, MN – The House of Representatives passed the House Higher Education Omnibus Bill today on a vote of 86-44. Included in the bill is funding that will directly benefit students by freezing tuition at both the University of Minnesota (U of M) and the Minnesota State Colleges and University system (MnSCU).
State Representative Gene Pelowski (DFL – Winona), Chair of the Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee, said his bill puts a long overdue focus on holding down tuition and reducing debt for students.
“It’s been years since we’ve had a positive number in higher education. This is the first significant base adjustment in a long time,” said Rep. Pelowski. “This bill focuses those new resources largely in two areas – tuition and debt – so we can put our resources into areas that directly benefit the students.”
Last year, the legislature made record cuts to higher education in the state budget. Tuition has nearly doubled at state colleges and universities over the past decade. The bill would increase funding for higher education by $150 million, using most of those resources to freeze in-state resident tuition over the next two years. There will also be $18 million allocated to the MnDrive research program at the University of Minnesota and almost $11 million allocated to the Office of Higher Education to increase grants for access, choice, and debt reduction.
“Our students deserve to have affordable tuition at our state colleges,” said Rep. John Persell (DFL – Bemidji). “This bill is a first step to help make tuition more affordable in Minnesota.”
This bill also includes new reforms to expand the oversight function of the legislature. They are designed to better hold the U of M and MnSCU accountable for budgeting practices that have come under fire for high administrative costs and excessive compensation for top administrators.
Rep. Pelowski’s committee held fourteen hearings on the oversight needed. His committee looked at the dramatic increase in student tuition, fees, and debt over the past six years, examined student-to-faculty ratios, and scrutinized administrative costs and trends over the past decade. The product of that work can be seen in new reforms that were drafted in consultation with the Office of Legislative Auditor to expand the oversight function of the legislature to better hold the U of M and MnSCU accountable for the money they are spending.
“Our colleges and universities are facing the same scrutiny that our state agencies do,” said Rep. Roger Erickson (DFL – Baudette). “This bill makes our schools more affordable and ensures they are using their state dollars wisely.”
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