Minnesota House Passes Higher Education Budget & Policy Bill

St. Paul, MN - Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed HF 2431, the House’s Higher Education Budget and Policy bill, on a vote of 120-14. The bill, crafted by Higher Education Committee Co-Chairs Rep. Dan Wolgamott (DFL - St. Cloud) and Rep. Marion Rarick (R - Maple Lake), funds the Minnesota Office of Higher Education and invests in the University of Minnesota and MinnState systems. 

"As the Trump administration seeks to control colleges and universities throughout the country, DFLers stood firm and fought for a Higher Ed budget that protects opportunities for all Minnesotans to continue their education after high school," said Rep. Wolgamott. 

DFLers protected the North Star Promise program, a signature accomplishment from the last biennium that provides free college tuition to students whose families make less than $80,000 a year. Though working with a zero-dollar target, the budget also features a bipartisan compromise to backfill the Minnesota State Grant program, ensuring students receive the full amount of their award.

Notable policy provisions in the bill include adding cybersecurity to the list of applied doctoral degrees offered by state universities - an option that currently only exists in six other states. The bill also aligns sexual misconduct grievance procedures with federal Title IX standards, provides protections for parents and pregnant students, and consolidates competitive grant and student loan repayment program reporting. 

Video of today’s floor debate can be found on the House Public Information YouTube channel. 

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