Jenna Chernega, Ph.D, President of Inter Faculty Organization (IFO), Winona State University
Thanks to Minnesota’s new North Star Promise program, enrollment in public and tribal higher education is increasing for the first time in over a decade. This initiative, which the Inter Faculty Organization (IFO) and other unions organized hard to win, was implemented in 2024 and provides tuition-free public or tribal higher education to Minnesota students with an income below $80,000/year.
Nearly 17,000 students have received North Star Promise scholarships this academic year. Even in the face of the FAFSA fiasco, the impact has been transformative, and we hope that it marks a pivotal shift for Minnesota’s public and tribal higher education systems.
Two decades of cuts since 2003
Until 2003, Minnesota funded at least 67% of the cost of attendance at a public college or university. Since then, we have experienced two decades of dramatic cuts, underfunding, and arbitrary tuition controls. These political decisions led to an enormous increase in tuition and student debt while reducing academic offerings, faculty positions, student support services, and other core functions on our campuses.
Twenty years later: the right moment to turn it around
It was clear that 2023 would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reinvest in higher education, because of an enormous budget surplus coming out of the pandemic. Shortly after the legislative session began, the Senate higher education chair, Sen. Omar Fateh, pulled together unions, student groups, civil rights groups, faith organizations, and others to develop a coalition to increase support for tuition-free college at all public institutions to make higher education more attainable for low-income Minnesotans
After this meeting, the IFO took the lead on lobbying and coalition building efforts to support tuition-free college. We held a rally and press conference to announce the bill’s introduction. The rally was held on the front steps of the Capitol on a balmy zero-degree February day and featured almost 400 total participants, speakers that included House and Senate leadership, supportive legislators, coalition partners, tribal college leaders, and students. The rally was funded entirely by the IFO, including transportation from six hub campuses around the state, marketing materials for the rally, outdoor space heaters, rally signs, Capitol area shuttles, food, and more.
Broad coalition work during Spring 2023
In March and April, we continued to work with coalition partners to update the targets list, find opportunities for earned media, and develop campaigns for supporters to contact legislators. In addition, we worked closely with Dennis Olson, Commissioner of the Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE), to secure the Walz administration’s support. In April, a record investment of $650 million was announced for higher education. Throughout April and May, the IFO and coalition partners worked closely with House and Senate committee chairs, who had very different priorities.
Post-pandemic funding surplus turns into higher ed funding package
In the end, faculty unions in Minnesota helped craft a higher education funding package that was focused on boosting enrollment, breaking down barriers, and stabilizing campus budgets. In addition to the North Star Promise funding, a record amount of additional revenue was appropriated for public colleges and universities. This allowed campuses to fund a tuition freeze, save or expand student support services, save or create faculty positions, and more. The main message for the faculty unions focused on any new Promise program having two parts – investing in campuses to develop high-quality programs and ensuring access and affordability for all Minnesotans. The investment in campuses will be critical to the success of North Star Promise students. Another vital component of the North Star Promise is $150 million in one-time support, dubbed North Star Promise+, which matches half of each eligible student’s Pell Award. Students can use it for books, housing, transportation, and other related living or education costs.
2024 Impact: Increased enrollment, increased diversity
Early data shows an impressive 8% increase in enrollment across Minnesota’s public and tribal colleges and universities in fall 2024 including increased participation from historically underrepresented groups. Minnesota State colleges experienced the most growth, increasing by 9.3 percent compared to last year, and state universities grew by 4.5 percent. The University of Minnesota has the largest and most diverse freshman class ever. The four Tribal and Community Colleges also experienced as much as a 16 percent enrollment increase year over year.
As leaders of a large coalition, Minnesota faculty unions helped address budget and enrollment challenges by successfully advocating for State investment in higher education and building a more inclusive public higher education system. The North Star Promise shines brightly, leading all Minnesotans to a more equitable and prosperous future.