5.11 Tuition and Fees

Board Policies
Chapter 5 - Administration

Part 1. Policy objectives
The tuition and fees policy of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities seeks to balance five values:

Affordable access to higher education: Minnesota State will champion a quality affordable higher education that all Minnesotans can access.
Equity: Minnesota State students taking similar academic programs are charged similar rates across Minnesota State colleges and universities.
Transparency: Minnesota State students will know what they are paying for and how their total tuition and fee charges are calculated.
Institutional Financial Sustainability: Minnesota State seeks to provide the resources needed for colleges and universities to support quality higher education and long term financial viability.
Flexibility for innovation and emerging markets: Minnesota State seeks to support the flexibility to be innovative, respond to the marketplace, and address emerging program and course development requirements.

Part 2. Authority
Minnesota Statutes § 136F.06 Powers and Duties and § 136F.70 Tuition; Fees; Activities Funds provide that the Board of Trustees shall set tuition, fees, and refunds for the colleges and universities it governs. All colleges and universities shall charge tuition and fees consistent with Minnesota Statutes, board policies, and system procedures. Institutions that have multiple campuses or sites may assess fees on a campus by campus or site by site basis to reflect differences by location. The board shall approve the tuition and fee structure for all colleges and universities.

The chancellor may establish limits on tuition and fee rate increases that are presented to the board as part of the annual operating budget. The chancellor or designee is authorized to make any necessary technical adjustments to the tuition rates and fees. Technical adjustments are defined as changes in tuition and fee rates that are deemed a correction or the addition of a program rate for a new program established in the interim.

Part 3. Tuition
Tuition shall be charged by all colleges and universities. The tuition categories are:

Per credit
Banded
Differential course and program
Market driven

Each tuition category may include resident, reciprocity, and nonresident rates. All tuition must be identified separately on a tuition and fee statement.

Colleges and universities have the option to create guaranteed tuition rates for undergraduate programs.

Part 4. Authorization and notice.

Subpart A. Authorized fee categories.
The board authorizes four categories of fees to be charged to Minnesota State students. The amount of the fees and how they are charged are determined by each college and university, subject to Minnesota statutes and board policy.

Required fees are in statute or established by board policy and are required to be charged by all colleges and universities in applicable circumstances.

Campus discretionary fees are established by board policy and adopted at campus discretion.

Personal fees and penalties are established by board policy and adopted at campus discretion.

Revenue Fund fees are established in accordance with statutes, board policy, and bond indenture.

Subpart B. Notice required
All fees must be identified separately on a tuition and fee statement. On an annual basis, colleges and universities shall publish all fees that are charged to their students.

Part 5. Fees

Subpart A. Required fees
There are five required fees:

Senior citizen fee in lieu of tuition

Parking fee, permits, or charges

Late fee

Payment plan fee

Statewide student association fee

All colleges and universities shall charge these fees consistent with Minnesota Statutes, board policies, and system procedures.

Subpart B. Campus discretionary fees
The board authorizes the campus discretionary fee categories and approves the fee maximums. The system office shall review, report, and make recommendations to the board regarding fee maximum levels at least once every five years.

Colleges and universities may establish policies to charge campus discretionary fees. These fees are not to exceed the maximum amount approved by the board and published as an attachment to board policy.

The authorized campus discretionary fees consist of some that are charged to all students and some that are charged only when accessed by the student.

Charged to all students

Student life/activity fee

Athletics fee (when established by a vote of the campus student association)

Health services fee

Technology fee

Sustainability fee (when established by a vote of the campus student association)

Charged when accessed

Application fee

Credit for prior learning assessment fee

Special events fee

Residential learning community fee

New student orientation fee (when established by a vote of the campus student association)

Subpart C. Personal charges and penalties
Colleges and universities may charge students the cost of property retained by the student and services received by the student. The allowable charge must be based on actual costs. Colleges and universities may also charge penalties to discourage certain behaviors.

Subpart D. Revenue fund facility fees

Adequate fees must be charged for the use of revenue fund facilities to meet the requirements of Minn. Stat. §136F.93 and 136F.95 and the Master Indenture of Trust. The fees must be sufficient to cover debt, operating cost, all repair and replacement costs, and reserves.

There are two types of revenue fund fees:

Revenue fund student fees. Colleges and universities shall charge revenue fund fees for facilities that were constructed, renovated, or acquired using revenue bonds or facilities that the board designated as part of the revenue fund. Revenue fund student fees include but are not limited to:

Room and board fees

Student union facilities fees

Wellness center and recreation facility fees

Parking ramp and surface lot facility fees

Other revenue fund fees for eligible projects approved by the board

Revenue fund use fees. Colleges and universities can charge for specific use of facilities. Revenue fund use fees include but are not limited to:

event or facility usage fees,

service charges, and

equipment charges.

The president of the college or university shall have final approval on all fees and subsequent rates for the use of revenue fund facilities. On an annual basis, colleges and universities shall publish all fee schedules or explanation of fees that are charged to their students for revenue fund facilities. Revenue received from revenue fund facility fees must be reported to the board as part of the annual operating budget.

Part 6. Student Consultation
All tuition and fees are subject to the student consultation requirements in Board Policy 2.3 Student Involvement in Decision-making and associated system procedures.

Policy History:

Date of Adoption: 06/21/00
Date of Implementation: 08/15/07
Date of Last Review: 03/18/26

Date & Subject of Amendments:

3/18/26 – Full Review. Part 2 amended to allow institutions with multiple campuses or sites to assess fees to reflect difference by location. Part 4 amended change the title of Subpart A. to Authorized fee categories and allows for fees and penalties. Part 5 amended to group authorized campus discretionary fees into two types – those charged to all students and those charged only when the service is accessed or used by a student.

5/17/23 – Reviewed as part of the 5-year review process. Part 1 amended to reorder policy objectives. Part 5, Subpart B aligns review of fee maximums with standard review cycle (at least every 5 years) and adds a sustainability fee under campus discretionary fees. Further amendments throughout for style, formatting, and clarity.

Additional HISTORY

5.11 Tuition and Fees

Related Documents:

Policy History: