[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6348494,"mediaKeyId","2241721-c10a89a3681576ed8005eafe9e1af41e","parentId",2241721,"title","Nonpartisan staff outline higher education base budget and governor’s change items; OHE grant increase tops recommendations","audioSeconds",666,"startMs",5258540,"endMs",5924835,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2241721-c10a89a3681576ed8005eafe9e1af41e&start=5258&end=5924","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2241721-c10a89a3681576ed8005eafe9e1af41e/thumbnail_5258540.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6348494/Minnesota/Nonpartisan-staff-outline-higher-education-base-budget-and-governors-change-items-OHE-grant-increase-tops-recommendations","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6348494-21dba0ff44b7426ff27457e42ace8f7f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770519774&Signature=e16gSlO666PQdqCUHpR-iw2ZBoiLf80dO9IkMU5AFbE3BOuEtQYboj8kfuTV-uj4YISdb6GSOb-BVFXHTCEooAH1voba05f3BtyblAu-byIpxm9rrJZnsP-m4KlxzbEBWekRP9mMyKv1wmgx3JsMoQfHy45bRqsJrBsONCJ0cH6oyrViGMSzobRU~TYJTh2z0MSxrXiFbUJmOWXIRpn3kaCWDOwtpOtNKXVn5QMQdasDAZnwT22HMXcTd7VtrC23VLMpREsLww0u9pQYYxprnG2t14sgzbsa0hNTUDms56fJ4zgoEe7YK-8PTYVNBOJ-qltbDi-h8fizOa1aYHUYRA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Minnesota Senate Media Services","date","2025-02-06T00:00:00Z","article","Megan Bursch, a nonpartisan fiscal analyst with Senate Counsel, Research and Fiscal Analysis, briefed the Senate Higher Education Committee on the November 2024 budget forecast and the governor’s 2025 recommended change items.

Bursch said the higher education budget jurisdiction has a total all‑funds base of about $3.974 billion for the 2026‑27 biennium and roughly $3.970 billion in the general fund. She summarized agency base appropriations that commonly appear in the committee’s jurisdiction: the Office of Higher Education (OHE) had a general fund base of roughly $725.1 million, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MinnState) about $1.751 billion, and the University of Minnesota about $1.494 billion across the biennium. The Mayo Medical School general fund base was about $3.6 million.

On the governor’s recommended change items, Bursch said two adjustments in OHE would have general fund impact: a modest operating adjustment (about $490,000 in 2026‑27 and $656,000 in 2028‑29) and a $15 million increase to the state grant program in each biennium. The governor’s proposal also included statutory changes to some state grant eligibility and award parameters; Bursch said those changes would be expected to lower projected state grant expenditures in future years compared with current OHE projections, but she deferred detailed policy discussion to the agency.

Bursch described a recommended adjustment in OHE’s postsecondary institution licensing and registration fees as a special revenue change that would increase both expenses and revenues by about $682,000 in each biennium; the net special revenue impact would be neutral because expense and revenue changes offset. She summarized the governor’s higher education change items as producing a net general fund increase of $15,490,000 in 2026‑27 and $15,656,000 in 2028‑29.

Committee members asked for follow‑up detail. Bursch and legislators flagged two topics for further briefing: (1) how the $15 million increase to the state grant program would change OHE’s spending and awards to students, and (2) what the proposed licensing and registration fee changes would mean for institutions and whether those costs would be passed to students. Bursch said the committee will have further opportunities to review the governor’s recommendations in future bill hearings and that the agency would likely be asked to testify on policy changes.

Bursch provided committee members with guidance on where to find the detailed tracking spreadsheets and offered to distribute the complete digital spreadsheets on request. The committee adjourned the session after the presentations and Q&A.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Committee on Higher Education - 02/06/25","oneSentenceSummary","Nonpartisan fiscal staff presented the November 2024 forecast and the governor’s 2025 recommended change items to the Minnesota Senate Higher Education Committee on Jan. 31, 2025, summarizing agency bases and noting a $15 million per‑biennium increase to the state grant program in the governor’s proposal.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MN, Minnesota","taxId",77817,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6348504,"Office of Higher Education reports gains from Direct Admissions Minnesota; FAFSA completion and in‑state enrollment climb",530,2196825,2727550,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2241721-c10a89a3681576ed8005eafe9e1af41e&start=2196&end=2727","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2241721-c10a89a3681576ed8005eafe9e1af41e/thumbnail_2196825.jpg","/articles/6348504/Minnesota/Office-of-Higher-Education-reports-gains-from-Direct-Admissions-Minnesota-FAFSA-completion-and-instate-enrollment-climb","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6348504-cd239eece8b4dab04f7188254c8e0c33/orig.mp4?Expires=1770519774&Signature=fsz86dflyMlX85Pl1rEvJT6pl0EK2Ls2LpdUiVaroO4Mn-obpyRw~wFL68yfSuykG4vs-xImrdpZq7KnMR4h8O6nJM72CieTTGVHJ4trBgJMKYal63bgCzaV5FPDktJi8FdHOylMxPq4JClmqHlUHQ7vrHD5l4tWl0r0gRYze-M0SlYwmS9Hb7FqZN6FkZLVfR4qg0fYUHTMTAzOF4XHm6E1qxm8KJaC5G9acDE8Qrg2u-U4~sbDC7F0UMpcdj7Xmh66QVQjFeB1ojJiYBP0ctt6f30x883Z6PYOsqNJ2mYikeITje2UQ9~ed6XMZxlYA-hJu2lRygVvGMb4aWJZrw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE) told the Senate Higher Education Committee on Jan. 31, 2025, that its Direct Admissions Minnesota program expanded statewide and is associated with measurable gains in financial aid completion and early college enrollment indicators.

OHE Assistant Commissioner Wendy Robinson said the program, now in its third cohort, reached 182 participating high schools with an estimated 31,172 seniors in the current year and partners with 55 colleges and universities. “Direct admissions is designed to bypass that ‘will I get in’ question,” Robinson said. “If you are able to graduate from high school in Minnesota, you have college opportunities. You are college material.”

The program sends students personalized letters listing institutions that have agreed to admit them based on junior‑year academic records. OHE officials said the program removes application fees for students who use the direct admission pathway, provides outreach about college options and financial aid, and coordinates with K‑12 counselors to boost completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Robinson said the program is intended to be broad — including public, private, two‑year and four‑year institutions — and intentionally does not limit student choice.

OHE director of government relations Nikki Oliver said staff will provide committee members with requested demographic breakdowns for the agency’s Get Ready (GEAR UP) program and other outreach efforts. “We do have the demographic breakdowns… staff is going to pull the most recent data and we’ll send that to you later,” Oliver said.

Aaron Salzick, the agency’s direct admissions coordinator, gave a status report on the current cohort and operational metrics. He said the agency had received 47,629 proactive admission requests from students, representing 7,314 unduplicated students, and reported a median of four institutions selected per student. “The median actually was 4,” Salzick said; “almost 20% of students selected only 1 institution via direct admissions.”

OHE highlighted several outcome measures: FAFSA completion rates rose among students at direct admissions high schools compared with prior years. Agency presenters emphasized that disaggregated results vary by subgroup. Officials said participation of students eligible for free or reduced‑price lunch increased: the share of that eligible group engaging in the program rose from 21% in the pilot year to 40% in the second cohort, and overall participation among free and reduced‑price lunch students was roughly equal to the share of such students in participating schools.

Presenters also flagged an area of concern: American Indian and Alaska Native students. Robinson said the number of American Indian students counted in the program grew from 99 in year one to 579 in year two and to 902 in the current year, and that FAFSA completion for this group declined in the second year even as the denominator increased. “We’re gonna continue to drill down into that data,” Robinson said, noting that apples‑to‑apples comparisons are difficult when cohort composition changes.

Robinson and Salzick described process and technology improvements intended to reduce the administrative lift for high school staff. Salzick said the agency has been adding integrations with student information systems and expects four of five major systems to support direct admissions capabilities in the coming year. He said the program aims to reach every Minnesota county within four years.

OHE described outside funding and partnerships supporting the work: a Lumina Foundation “Connect College” grant to expand high school participation and counselor convenings, federal GEAR UP funding for the Get Ready program that serves roughly 7,500 low‑income students across 14 lead schools and 28 additional partner schools, and ongoing FAFSA outreach including Ready, Set, FAFSA virtual sessions that drew more than 1,300 registrations in October and 939 in January.

Committee members asked about access for homeschooled students, counselor workload and best practices. Salzick said the agency has had conversations with homeschool consortiums but that the program’s tiering process typically requires a neutral certifying reviewer (often a school counselor) and that OHE is exploring options. Robinson and Salzick recommended schools distribute letters early in the senior year, involve parents, and treat letter distribution as a coordinated event to encourage participation.

OHE said a full Direct Admissions Minnesota report will be released soon; the committee received a preview of performance results during the hearing.","The Minnesota Office of Higher Education told the Senate Higher Education Committee on Jan. 31, 2025, that its Direct Admissions Minnesota program expanded to 182 participating high schools and is associated with improved FAFSA completion and early college enrollment indicators.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6348499,"Midwestern Higher Education Compact briefs committee on savings, enrollment trends and effective college‑access practices",2432,2799715,5232070,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2241721-c10a89a3681576ed8005eafe9e1af41e&start=2799&end=5232","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2241721-c10a89a3681576ed8005eafe9e1af41e/thumbnail_2799715.jpg","/articles/6348499/Minnesota/Midwestern-Higher-Education-Compact-briefs-committee-on-savings-enrollment-trends-and-effective-collegeaccess-practices","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6348499-85a972647ff3e574a35f5d0fe64aa7ae/orig.mp4?Expires=1770519774&Signature=kLLVp0zxsp7kpiwz5DFvTRMxusDTIveHCrHdeXmc7C9vbsGof2K1QihWw6w6kWHqlBqU~9nLy5-1DU8LHqUl8IMgrOg~oiwvRRjZ1OeQwqm2SswIkE-MBEUEQEdfFpTM2S8Tcv4weOmSb3M1KGm7FAMfm5cBEOk8d1scqP~nUhKKhIwqMqkBjlHtDvDy6-i33EQefqZZX1cnBfK05wZKiO8L979HHz2oVuQs-MnhC-WgT3NSZlf07DGooD9VUwGbt~r3R~eZOZlH-E8yiaBOXIxrGnFCirWVyMPdEWHUBhl-lU0KrMw0YecXhDyceMRQIkDlHhbk-jExlQhWHdvNeg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Susan Heegard, president of the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MEC), and Dr. Eric Wiederspan (presented as Dr. Wiederspan) gave a briefing to the Senate Higher Education Committee on MEC services, statewide savings and research on college‑access strategies.

Heegard described MEC’s dual focus on cost‑saving contracting and policy research and told members the compact produced roughly $9.26 million in annual savings for Minnesota institutions in fiscal 2024 and an estimated 81‑to‑1 return on the state’s membership appropriation. “For FY ’24 the cost savings for Minnesota [were] $9,260,000 in total annual savings for the colleges, university, school district, state and local government,” Heegard said, adding that the compact’s vendor contracts and reciprocity programs streamline purchasing and regulatory work for institutions.

Heegard and colleagues reviewed higher education attainment metrics and enrollment patterns. MEC presented data showing that Minnesota’s postsecondary attainment rate (residents with a credential beyond high school) is above the national average and that Minnesota is a net exporter of college students a year after graduation; in MEC’s snapshot roughly 64% of Minnesota high‑school graduates who enrolled in higher education stayed in state, 26% went to other Midwestern states and 11% enrolled out of region.

Dr. Wiederspan summarized research on interventions that can increase FAFSA completion and college enrollment. He identified six categories of effective actions in high schools: personalized information (including targeted financial‑aid letters), targeted text messaging and reminders, strengthened school counseling, one‑on‑one advising or coaching partnerships, virtual advising when necessary, and school‑embedded college‑going programming. He emphasized that personalization and counselor capacity are important: general, untargeted materials are less effective than individualized outreach.

Committee members asked for additional context to interpret interstate comparisons, including counts of higher education institutions and annual graduate totals in comparator states. Heegard said MEC maintains a data dashboard and offered to share state‑level data on enrollment and program participation to help the committee interpret the compact’s comparisons.

MEC also noted operational changes they are tracking nationwide — demographic shifts in graduating classes and mixed enrollment trends at two‑ and four‑year institutions — and offered technical support and procurement contracts to Minnesota colleges and K‑12 districts.

The compact’s staff said they will provide committee members additional data and a copy of the briefing materials on request.","The Midwestern Higher Education Compact told the Senate Higher Education Committee that its contracts and programs generated about $9.26 million in savings for Minnesota in FY 2024 and highlighted enrollment trends, interstate student flows and evidence on what college‑access interventions work.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Nonpartisan staff outline higher education base budget and governor’s change items; OHE grant increase tops recommendations

Office of Higher Education reports gains from Direct Admissions Minnesota; FAFSA completion and in‑state enrollment climb

Midwestern Higher Education Compact briefs committee on savings, enrollment trends and effective college‑access practices