WATCH: Bonoff Praises Higher Education Bill

Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL-District 44) said on Wednesday that she’s pleased with a bill her committee passed that will put extra money into the University of Minnesota and student aid.

The Higher Education and Workforce Development committee chairwoman—whose district includes Minnetonka and Plymouth—said the committee went in with three goals:

• Reduce the overall cost to students
• Increase graduation rate
• Prepare the students for the workforce of tomorrow

“I think you’ll find, if we look at the components of the bill, that we move on that path, if not deliver on some of those objectives,”

According to Bonoff, the bill:

• Invests $42.6 million to freeze tuition at the University of Minnesota for the next two years.
• Appropriates $80 million to fund college student aid and increase the amount of each grant available to all Minnesotans.
• Utilizes performance funding metrics to ensure that Universities and colleges are providing relevant post-secondary degrees in an efficient manner.
• Puts forward proposals to study how mentoring can be used to keep students enrolled, increase graduation rates, and provide financial counseling.

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