Posted: July 21, 1999
Contact: Doug Anderson, doug.anderson@MinnState.edu, 651-201-1426
The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees today approved a tuition increase for 1999-2000 that averages 3.8 percent.
The average annual two-year state college tuition will be $2,065, and the average state university tuition will be $2,606. Even with the increases, MnSCU institutions remain the lowest-cost institutions of higher education in the state.
"To keep our quality as high as possible while not sacrificing affordability, our presidents recommended raising tuition a bit more than we anticipated," said Board Chair Michael Vekich. "We had expected to hold tuition increases to 3 percent, but the state Legislature chose not to invest as much new money in our system as we
hoped for during this time of budget surplus."
Tuition forms about one-third of the revenue for the 36 Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. State appropriation and other sources of revenue make up the balance.
To encourage students to take a full course load so that they graduate in a timely manner, the MnSCU Board kept in place a tuition discount plan that was started last year at three state universities * Bemidji State; Minnesota State, Mankato and Winona State. The plan allows students to take up to 18 credits for the price of 12 credits at Minnesota State University, Mankato and Winona State University, and unlimited credits for the price of 12 at Bemidji State University. The board also approved pilot programs that allow four institutions * Bemidji State University, Minnesota State College - Southeast Technical, Minnesota West Community and Technical College, and Riverland Community and Technical College - to waive non-resident tuition for some students.
The board decided to allow the pilot programs because Minnesota colleges, particularly the border colleges that compete with colleges from other states, are at a disadvantage if they charge non-resident tuition, which is about twice the price of resident tuition. In addition, the board approved waiving non-resident tuition for military personnel and their families on active duty in Minnesota. The board also waived tuition on a pilot basis for ROTC students taking ROTC courses at St. Cloud State University.
