Leaders from the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State college systems pleaded for a state funding boost during a virtual Senate committee hearing, telling lawmakers their investment is necessary to meet a growing number of student needs.
The U is grappling with an estimated $166 million shortfall while Minnesota State faces a $51 million hole this fiscal year.With an increase in state funding, system leaders say they could steady their finances, improve academic programs and ramp up student support services.
“We need to do more and scale up our work in the face of powerful forces of disruption and change,” Minnesota State Chancellor Devinder Malhotra told lawmakers. “Who our students are and how they learn is changing. How our campuses will respond to new budget realities during a time of pandemic will have substantial impact on how much more we can do.”
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