As public college students lobbied Wednesday for tuition relief, a bill that would freeze tuition was co-authored by Assistant House Majority Leader Frank Moe, DFL-Bemidji.
Students who attend Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system schools rallied at the State Capitol, many seeking an end to double-digit tuition increases over the past five years.
"Since 2001, the cost of attending a MnSCU school has increased 70 percent on average," said Moe, a member of the House Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee. "High tuition has created a barrier to education and graduates with mountains of debt."
Moe was part of a news conference held at the Capitol to highlight what high tuition means to students.
The MnSCU tuition stability bill, chief authored by Rep. Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, would provide $24 million in fiscal 2008 and $49 million in fiscal 2009 to supplement instructional appropriations in lieu of tuition increases.
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The appropriations from the general fund would occur, however, only if the Legislature for the 2008-09 biennium appropriates at least $177 million over current biennium spending, and during the next biennium that the MnSCU Board of Trustees doesn't increase tuition above the level of the 2006-7 academic year.
A companion bill in the Senate is chief authored by Sen. David Tomassoni, DFL-Chisholm.
"Tuition's gone through the roof over the last 10 years, doubled over the last eight years," Moe said. "We were able to make some progress two years ago because so many college students came down (to St. Paul)."
They returned Wednesday to again tell stories of how they are turning more and more to student loans, he said. In 2005, nearly 60 percent of Minnesota students borrowed money, compared to 48 percent three years ago.
Some have $40,000 to $50,000 in debt, said Moe, who teaches part time at Bemidji State University.
"Today, a Bemidji State graduate will leave with an average of $11,684 in student loan debt. My own frustration with rising college tuition was one of the reasons I ran for the Minnesota House," he said.
"They're looking at jobs when they graduate that they can't even afford to make their student debt payments," he said. "It really makes us wonder what we're doing. Are we even going to be able to have teachers, nurses and other professionals?"
Moe met with students from northern Minnesota colleges and universities who attended the rally sponsored by MnSCU student associations.
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"Hopefully we can make some progress," Moe said, "and freeze tuition, at least level it off so it doesn't go up any more in the next couple of years. ... While the budget is going to be tight, a tuition freeze is one of my top priorities this session."
Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, in his biennium budget proposal, would give MnSCU $1.327 billion from the general fund, including $123 million in new initiatives, resulting in a 10 percent increase over this biennium's allocation.
The new money includes $60 million to enable MnSCU to make upgrades in technology and infrastructure, especially in distance and online learning.
