Senate panel OKs increased college funding

BYLINE: Norman Draper, Star Tribune, Minneapolis

Mar. 21--A Senate higher education bill that provides inflation-level funding increases for colleges but no tuition relief for students was approved by the Finance Committee on Tuesday.

The bill also aims to control high college textbook costs and allow children of illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at the state's public colleges and universities. It could come up for a vote by the full Senate as early as Thursday.

Sen. Sandy Pappas, DFL-St. Paul, chief sponsor of the bill and chairwoman of the Senate Higher Education Committee, said she was "very disappointed" with the funding increases. "I feel this is a status quo bill," she said. "This really has no new programs in it and no new technology. It sticks to inflationary increases." She said there is not enough money available to lower tuition rates, which have shot up far faster than the rate of inflation.

The bill calls for an 11 percent funding increase for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) over two years, and a 14 percent increase for the University of Minnesota. Inflationary increases for colleges are deemed to be higher than those set by the Consumer Price Index.

Pappas said university officials told her that the Senate bill would result in 5 1/2- percent tuition increases. MnSCU, she said, will probably stick to increases between 4 and 5 percent. The total two-year appropriation in the bill is $1.38 billion for the U and $1.34 billion for MnSCU.

The bill also proposes setting up a pilot textbook rental program and providing more information about textbook costs to students so they can explore alternatives.

The measure called the Dream Act, which lets children of illegal immigrants pay in-state tuition rates, was proposed last year and in 2005. Both times, Gov. Tim Pawlenty threatened to veto it. He continues to oppose it.

Norman Draper -- 612-673-4547 -- ndraper@startribune.com

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