1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to higher education; providing funding to the Board of Trustees of the 
1.3 	Minnesota State Colleges and Universities; appropriating money.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. APPROPRIATION; MINNESOTA STATE COLLEGES AND 
1.6 	UNIVERSITIES.
 1.7 		Subdivision 1.Minnesota state stabilization. $40,000,000 in fiscal year 2024 and 
1.8 	$85,000,000 in fiscal year 2025 are appropriated from the general fund to the Board of 
1.9 	Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities to stabilize system operations, 
1.10 	maintain academic programs, and keep tuition affordable.
1.11 		Subd. 2.Student support. $50,000,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $75,000,000 in fiscal 
1.12 	year 2025 are appropriated from the general fund to the Board of Trustees of the Minnesota 
1.13 	State Colleges and Universities to directly support students' critical needs. Of the amounts 
1.14 	appropriated in this subdivision:
1.15 	(1) $25,000,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $50,000,000 in fiscal year 2025 are to freeze 
1.16 	the 2023-2024 academic year and the 2024-2025 academic year tuition rates at the current 
1.17 	2022-2023 academic year tuition rates;
1.18 	(2) $1,000,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $1,000,000 in fiscal year 2025 are to reduce 
1.19 	students' out-of-pocket costs by expanding free offerings in course materials and resources, 
1.20 	including through open educational resources, open textbooks, and Z-Degrees, as defined 
1.21 	in Minnesota Statutes, section 136F.305;
2.1 	(3) $13,000,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $13,000,000 in fiscal year 2025 are to expand 
2.2 	student support services. This appropriation provides funding to campuses to add additional 
2.3 	staff in the areas of highest need, such as student advisors, social workers, basic needs 
2.4 	coordinators, community resource connectors, and mental health support staff. In addition, 
2.5 	this funding provides systemwide resources and coordination, including electronic 
2.6 	connections for peer support and professional clinical support for mental health. These 
2.7 	systemwide resources must be available online and via telephone and text, 24 hours a day, 
2.8 	seven days a week;
2.9 	(4) $6,000,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $6,000,000 in fiscal year 2025 are to create a 
2.10 	transfer scholarship program to financially support students who transfer from any Minnesota 
2.11 	state college to a Minnesota state university; and
2.12 	(5) $5,000,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $5,000,000 in fiscal year 2025 are for student 
2.13 	emergency grants to assist with emergencies that arise to allow students to continue with 
2.14 	their educational goals.