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University of Minnesota officials plan to pay students to attend regional colleges in the state, the Star Tribune reported.
Minnesota residents who enroll at the University of Minnesota’s Duluth, Rochester, Crookston and Morris campuses would receive several thousand dollars in scholarship money if the state Legislature decides to fund the Greater Minnesota Scholarship Program. The university has asked the Legislature—which is working with a record-breaking $9 billion budget surplus—for $30 million for the program.
“Minnesota is a net exporter of high school students, especially to our surrounding states,” Bob McMaster, vice provost and dean of undergraduate education at the university, told the Board of Regents. “Such a generous scholarship program would likely retain more students within the state and within the University of Minnesota system.”
Under the new program, every eligible student would receive $4,000 to $5,000 in their first year and $1,000 to $2,000 in the subsequent three years. University officials hope the program will lower the average student debt burden for graduates of regional campuses.
In 2020, graduates from Rochester and Morris campuses averaged just under $25,000 in student debt, the Star Tribune reported. Crookston graduates averaged $27,000 in debt, and Duluth graduates averaged $32,000.
