SAINT PAUL, MN—The Minnesota House passed the omnibus Higher Education conference committee report Sunday with bipartisan support on a 71-57 vote. The bill was agreed on earlier this weekend by a bipartisan group conference committee legislators representing the House and the Senate who were tasked with working out the differences between House and Senate Higher Education proposals. The bill passed the Senate earlier in the day Sunday 57-8, and now heads to the Governor where it awaits his signature.
The bill includes $100 million in increased funding for tuition relief for the Minnesota State College and Universities system, and funds a tuition freeze in 2016 and a 1% tuition reduction in 2017 at all two-year MNSCU campuses, including Riverland Community College located in Albert Lea.
The bill also includes a provision originally chief authored in the House by first-term Representative Peggy Bennett, R-Albert Lea, to provide loan forgiveness to teachers who teach in designated "teacher shortage areas" which are determined on an annual basis by the commissioner of education, or in certain licensure areas for positions that schools are having a difficult time filling.
"The Higher Education bill will help provide tuition relief and lower student debt for many students in our community and across the state," Bennett said. "I'm also grateful that my bill to help ease Minnesota's teacher shortage was included in the final bill. Minnesota kids deserve a world-class education no matter what part of the state they live in. In order to deliver that, it's important that we have good teachers in every classroom for every important subject area. This bill is a tool we can use to address our teacher shortage and improve education for Minnesota kids."
Bennett's
original bill attracted seven DFL co-authors, as well as the support of Rep. Jenifer Loon, R-Eden Prairie, the chair of the House Education Finance Committee.
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