Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan's One Minnesota Budget invests in higher education pathways for all Minnesotans



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EVERY FIFTEEN DAYS



"February 2, 2023"

One Minnesota Budget

One Minnesota Budget invests in higher education pathways for all Minnesotans
Commissioner Olson presenting higher ed budget proposals to the House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee on Feb. 2..

Commissioner Olson presented Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan higher education budget proposals to the House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee. The approximately $335 million investment to OHE, the University of Minnesota, and Minnesota State over the next biennium will further efforts to reduce financial barriers and support postsecondary opportunities for all Minnesotans. Read more about?Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan's entire?One Minnesota Budget. [ [link removed] ]??

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OHE budget proposals

*Supporting Public Higher Education Institutions*

In the One Minnesota Budget, Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan propose increased funding for the state?s two public higher?education systems, Minnesota State and the University of Minnesota. They also propose funding for Minnesota?State to increase student supports in areas such as mental health. By supporting the whole student and ensuring?they have the resources they need to succeed outside of the classroom, students will be able to better focus on?their studies, which increases their likelihood of completing their degree program.

*Investing in Tribal Colleges and Indigenous Students*

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan propose additional funding for the state?s tribal colleges by?expanding the Tribal College Supplemental Grant Assistance program, ensuring tribal colleges receive the same?per student funding as other Minnesota public higher education institutions. The Gov. and Lt. Gov. also propose an American Indian Scholars program to provide tuition-free pathways for any?Minnesota Tribal Nation member, or any federally recognized American Indian or Canadian First Nation tribe?member, attending a public college in Minnesota.

*Supporting Student Parents in Higher Ed*

As a new competitive grant program, the Minnesota Student Parent Support Initiative would support?entities and institutions to develop and implement services and programs that would?support the unique needs of parenting students across the state.*
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*The Walz-Flanagan budget request also includes investments in the following areas:*

* Continuation of the Next Generation Nursing Assistant Initiative [ [link removed] ] to support training and other expenses for Minnesotans to become nursing assistants at no cost.
* Financial aid and repayment assistance programs [ [link removed] ] to support Minnesota teachers of color, American Indian teachers, and teachers who serve in rural shortage areas. These programs are playing a key role for both increasing representation in Minnesota's teacher workforce and addressing teacher shortages that exist throughout the state, particularly in greater Minnesota.
* Expansion of the Direct Admissions Minnesota [ [link removed] ], a program that bypasses the typical college admissions process?by proactively admitting students to college based on academic tiers?set by participating colleges.
* Investments in the Minnesota State Grant program [ [link removed] ] to increase college affordability for Minnesota students and families and align with new federal standards.
* Increased investment in the state's Emergency Assistance for Postsecondary Students (EAPS) [ [link removed] ] grant program which helps students facing food and housing insecurity.??
* Additional support for Minnesota's?Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System [ [link removed] ] and Early Childhood Longitudinal Data System [ [link removed] ]. These nation-leading databases further transparency around educational outcomes and are used by families, legislators, and researchers.?

Read more about the Governor's budget recommendations by agency on the MMB website [ [link removed] ]?or view the One Minnesota Budget Fact Sheet [ [link removed] ] for an overview of all proposals.

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Senate Higher Education Committee unanimously moves OHE Commissioner Dennis Olson's reappointment forward
Commissioner Olson at the Minnesota Senate Higher Education Committee meeting on Jan. 24

On Jan. 24, the Senate Higher Education Committee held a confirmation hearing for Commissioner Dennis Olson where they?unanimously voted to support Olson's reappointment. The motion will now go before the entire Senate for approval.

Over the past four years,?Commissioner Olson?has tirelessly advocated for higher education, engaged in valuable partnerships with various stakeholder groups, and has led the agency in the implementation of multiple successful programs that break down financial barriers and work toward increasing postsecondary attainment for all students.

"We must continue to work to meet the goals and needs of an increasingly diverse and changing student population," said Olson at the confirmation hearing. "Our vision for the future is an umbrella approach to investments, initiatives and partnerships that strive to meet students where they are to help them be successful. Targeted programs for underserved Minnesotans are key, with initiatives designed to help with readiness, affordability, persistence, and completion."

The public is able to stream Commissioner Dennis Olson's confirmation hearing on the Minnesota Senate Media Services page [ [link removed] ].

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Legislative Higher Education Committees

Track higher education bill progress by tuning into the House and Senate Higher Education Committee meetings.

The House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee [ [link removed] ], chaired by Representative Gene Pelowski, meets on Tuesdays and Thursday from 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in Room 10 of the State Office Building.

The Senate Higher Education Committee [ [link removed] ], chaired by Senator Omar Fateh, meets on Tuesday and Thursdays from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. in Room G15 of the State Capitol.?

This year, the Legislative Session has returned to an in-person format, and there will be some live streaming options. Visit the Combined Legislative Meeting Calendar [ [link removed] ] - live stream links will appear next to the meeting when available. Past meetings are available by visiting the House [ [link removed] ] and Senate [ [link removed] ] Higher Ed Committee webpages.

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Next Generation Nursing Assistant initiative update

The Next Generation Nursing Assistant (NGNA) initiative awarded $98,800 in equipment grants to 24 Minnesota high schools. School districts will use this funding to purchase or improve lab equipment and materials necessary for nursing assistant training.

In addition, the latest data shows that?2,306 Minnesotans have completed, or are in the process of completing, their training.

To learn more and see the list of high schools who received grants, check out our website. [ [link removed] ]




Ready, Set, FAFSA! Register for February 2023

Free Financial Aid Sessions for Students and Families

Join us this February for a series of financial aid webinars created specifically for students and families to help them prepare for the college-going process. All sessions will be approximately one hour long with a short presentation from financial aid experts followed by time for questions from the audience.?

Sessions will have simultaneous interpretation available in Spanish, Somali, and Hmong. Participants who attend at least one session will be eligible to win a $500 scholarship!

Ready, Set, FAFSA! Details:

* *Understand & Prepare to Apply for Financial Aid?| *Tues,?Feb. 7 at 7:00 p.m.
* *Complete the FAFSA | *Tues,?Feb. 14 at 7:00 p.m.
* *Complete the MN Dream Act | **Thurs,?Feb. 16 at 7:00 p.m.?
* *Understanding Your Offer Letter | *Tues, Feb. 21 at 7:00 p.m.
* *Scholarship Search | *Tues,?Feb. 28. at 7:00 p.m.

Space is limited - so register today!?Click here to complete webinar registration. [ [link removed] ]

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Minnesota State Grant continues to make college possible for students, 2022 report published

The Minnesota State Grant Program is the state's largest financial aid program providing need-based grant assistance to Minnesota undergraduates who attend public and private postsecondary institutions in the state. In fiscal year 2022, the State Grant Program awarded $202 million to nearly 70,000 students.

The?program is designed to provide choice and access to undergraduate students to attend the?postsecondary institutions that best meet their needs. It works in conjunction with the Federal Pell Grant, making college possible for thousands of Minnesotans each year. This past year, 55% of grant recipients had a family adjusted gross income of less than $40,000.?

The FY2022 Minnesota State Grant End-of-Year Report [ [link removed] ] was recently published on the OHE website. Click to visit the OHE Minnesota State Grants page for additional information [ [link removed] ].




OHE in the News

* Gov. Walz presents entire One Minnesota Budget (kttc.com) [ [link removed] ]
* It's FAFSA time: Why and how to apply for college financial aid (startribune.com) [ [link removed] ]
* OHE Get Ready program supports Como Park High School students (Park Bugle) [ [link removed] ]



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