The Senate Higher Education Finance and Policy committee met for over three hours Wednesday evening and heard over 35 amendments to their omnibus bill with the majority coming from Democrats.

Amendments included: continuing and funding student loan counseling services; a variety of scenarios that would provide tuition cuts at Minnesota State colleges and universities; fully funding requests from Minnesota State and the University of Minnesota; funding the MN State Grant at the Governor's recommended levels, and a series of other programs. Most amendments would have required the committee to exceed the budget target that was given to them ($100 million). Republicans held firm on the position that the omnibus bill would remain within the budget that was given to them by leadership.

The amendments that were added to the omnibus bill include:

• An author's amendment that provided operations funding to Minnesota State and the University of Minnesota evenly over the biennium vs. the proposed 1/3-2/3 application that the systems were seeking.
• For the MN State Grant, amended the assigned family responsibility,for all student types, the assigned family contribution equals the modified contribution for that student minus $158.
• Clarified Board of Psychology Statute to provide licensure exemptions for those teaching and conducting research in a secondary, postsecondary, or graduate institution.
• Moved out the date from October 1, 2017 to February 1, 2018 for the Office of Higher Education to report on its website aggregate information on MN high school students placing into developmental education courses.
• Provided an exemption for regionally accredited nonprofit postsecondary institutions to not be subject to OHE requirements related to approval or preapproval of degree programs.
• Two items with funding modifications were approved. The increased funding was reallocated from OHE's agency administration so the overall budget target did not increase. The changes included providing funding ($150,000 each year) for OHE to staff a campus sexual violence prevention and response coordinator to serve as a statewide resource for postsecondary institutions. In addition the funding for Summer Academic Enrichment Programs was increased from $100,000 per year to $125,000 per year.

The bill will be sent back to the revisor to incorporate changes. The next step is for the bill to heard in the Senate Finance committee on Friday at 8:30 a.m. before heading to the Senate Floor.

The House Higher Education Finance and Policy committee presented the House higher education omnibus bill Wednesday afternoon..

• The bill, as introduced, can be found HERE (pdf)
  
• The fiscal spreadsheet, as introduced, can be found HERE (pdf)
  

Major highlights of the bill follows:

Minnesota State (FY18-FY19):

• $80 million in Campus Support. The Governor's recommendation was $125 million and the Senate's was $45 million.
  
• $10 million to support ISRS Next Generation. The Governor's recommendation was $25 million and the Senate's was $5 million.
  
• For 2017-2018, tuition rates at colleges must not exceed 2016-2017 rates.
• For 2018-2019, tuition rates at colleges must be reduced by at least 1% compared to 2017-2018 rates.
• Language pertaining to universities tuition was not included in the bill. However, Chair Nornes indicated that there would be an amendment offered on Thursday that the 2018-2019 tuition rates at universities must not exceed 2017-2018 rates only.
  

University of Minnesota (FY18-FY19):

• The House did not provide additional funds to for Core Mission Support. The Governor's recommendation was $68.2 million and the Senate's was $24 million.
  
• $2 million to support MnDRIVE. The Governor's recommendation was $8 million and the Senate's was $4 million.
• $14 million for health training restoration to support faculty physicians, the mobile dental clinic, and expansion of geriatric and family programs.
  

Office of Higher Education (FY2018-FY2019):

• MN State Grant received an additional $26 million to serve students.
• $4 million to fund spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury research grants.
  
• $750,000 to develop a grant program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities enrolled at a postsecondary institution.
  
• $1 million grant to Minnesota Life College for need-based scholarships and tuition reductions.
  

The bill also contains policy changes which are similar to the Senate's bill:

• Minnesota State and the University of Minnesota in their biennial budget to the legislature a series of data outlined in MN Statute 135A.031. Additions to the reporting language includes data on work completed by a consultant for which payment is in excess of $500,000. In addition, aggregate data including student demographics, student enrollment history, student debt, tuition and fee history, and human resources, facilities, and administrative and financial data must be included.
  
• The Office of Higher Education must report aggregate information on students graduating from Minnesota high schools including number and percent from each high school who are placed in supplemental or developmental education, complete developmental education courses/programs within one academic year, complete gateway courses in one academic year, and time to complete a degree or certificate.

Other policy changes:

• Encourages Minnesota State and the University of Minnesota to "seek fiscal balance recognizing the ability of the employer to fund agreements or awards" in collective bargaining negotiations.
• Minnesota State must automatically admit students with a GPA in the top ten percent of their graduating class. The University of Minnesota is requested to adopt a policy.
• Minnesota State must not impose on students any mandatory fee funding for noninstructional student programs, activities, groups, or services. The University of Minnesota is requested to adopt a policy. If they impose a mandatory fee in violation of the bill, their base appropriation would be reduced to an amount equal to the net revenue generated from that fee.
• Minnesota State must develop two residential based programs to serve students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. $500,000 per year is appropriated to support these programs, of which $150,000 must go to existing programs at Ridgewater College and Central Lakes College. The University of Minnesota is also requested to develop such a program and received an appropriation of $300,000 per year.
  
• $1.25 million per year is appropriated to Minnesota State colleges to provide workforce scholarships to students who enroll in programs in advanced manufacturing, agriculture, health care services, or information technology.
• Performance metrics for Minnesota State and University of Minnesota were introduced, similar to legislation from the previous biennium. Five percent of FY2019 appropriations would be made available once performance goals were met.
• A new provision for Minnesota State and the University of Minnesota would require any unspent money appropriated to be transferred back to the state's general fund, similar to other state agencies.
  

The committee will meet tonight at 5:30 p.m. to mark-up the bill. The hearing will be streamed live HERE.