SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Late yesterday evening, the Minnesota House of Representatives advanced the compromise higher education budget bill on a vote of 71-57. House DFLers negotiated with the Republican-led Senate with a goal of using limited resources to protect students from rising costs, while also keeping Minnesota institutions vibrant and competitive, and shrinking racial and economic opportunity gaps in higher education.
“All Minnesota families deserve the opportunity to access a world-class education, no matter where they live or what they look like,” said House Higher Education Chair Connie Bernardy (DFL-New Brighton). “Our bipartisan compromise with the Senate prioritizes students by helping them overcome pandemic-related challenges now and into the future. We are committed to ensuring students are prepared to move forward in the post-pandemic workforce. House DFLers advocated for strategic investments in Minnesotans, so we can all thrive and emerge stronger post-COVID-19.”
The bipartisan higher education budget funds the Office of Higher Education (OHE), the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MinnState), the University of Minnesota campuses, and the Mayo Clinic Medical School. Significantly, it makes investments into the State Grant program that will impact more than 75,000 students and expand access to nearly 3,000 grant applicants. Additionally, within the budget agreement is a new “fostering independence” grant program to fund up to five years of college for students raised in foster care.
Continue reading “Minn. House Approves Compromise Higher Education Budget”