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July 21, 1999 - MnSCU Board Sets Tuition For 1999-2000
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.
The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system is made up of 36
state universities, community and technical colleges and a campus in Japan.
The system serves approximately 230,000 students a year with a fall 1998
enrollment of about 140,000.
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