ST. PAUL, Minn. (KFGO-WCCO) – Tuition for Minnesota state colleges could spike as much as 18% in the next two years.
A new report from the Minnesota State Board of Trustees shows the state’s 33 colleges and universities are poised to receive less state funding as the Legislature faces a budget shortfall.
Vice Chancellor of Finance and Facilities for Minnesota State, Bill Maki, says the current climate has forced them to make some difficult decisions.
“We received a historic investment of funding in ’24 and ’25 and now the state outlook economically, there’s just less state funding available,” he says. “For not only for higher education but for other primary units of of state government.”
He added that while nothing is finalized yet, if things continue the way they are right now students could be facing the largest tuition hike Minnesota has seen in over a decade.
Maki says they are bracing for change but know that they aren’t the only ones facing cuts.
“Our campuses continue to increase the amount of gifts and grants they receive, but as a percentage of of operating revenue it’s still a smaller portion and doesn’t replace the funding that would come from the state,” Maki adds.
A final decision on tuition rates by the board is set for early June.
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