March 2011 newsletter
share this pageStudents speak up for need-based aid
The importance of funding need-based aid for college students has been top
of mind for hundreds of students who've been coming to the Capitol this session
to meet with their legislators. While these students have come from nine member
institutions of the Minnesota Private College Council, the Minnesota State
Grant program is critical for students at all kinds of institutions — public
and private, two-year and four-year.
The efforts to reach out to legislators will continue March 31, with students coming from College of Saint Benedict, Saint John's University, Macalester College and Saint Mary's University for the next Day at the Capitol. (See stories about recent visits from Hamline University and the University of St. Thomas.)
Key decisions about the availability of funding for the program for 2011-13 will be made yet this month; legislators will soon vote in committee on budget bills that will guide funding decisions. Given the state budget deficit of $5 billion, every government program faces potential cuts. But need for the State Grant program is greater than ever, triggered by the economic downturn, which has reduced financial resources for low- and middle-income families.
Student need has increased this academic year, with more students enrolling in college and a larger share of these students needing financial aid. That increase in demand caused a shortfall in the program's budget this year, one that triggered rationing that left about 18,000 students without State Grant awards. And the remaining grants were reduced in size. (See key facts about the program.)
The Minnesota Private College Council urges policymakers to fully fund the State Grant program; this would add $14 million to next year's funding, up from $145 million. This would address the reality that the need for the grants has been growing. Full funding would prevent a replay of this year's rationing.
Those who cannot come to the Capitol in person can help make the case for full funding by joining the Council's Legislative Action Network.
Here are a few student statements about the State Grant program; these are the kinds of stories students are sharing with legislators during Day at the Capitol.
"For the last three and a half years, I have been
truly grateful for the Minnesota State Grant
because without it my loans and school expenses would have been too burdensome
for me and especially my family. I would
have had to find another job, which could possibly mean full-time employment as
a full-time student."
Zoua Yang
Class of '11, College
of Saint Benedict
Hometown: St. Paul
"The Minnesota State Grant is
important to me because it helped make it possible to attend Concordia University. If I had
never received it, I don't think I would have had the educational experience I
was hoping for."
Taherah Samsul-Bahri
Class of '14, Concordia
University, St.
Paul
Hometown: Minneapolis
"Education is highly valued in my family, and
without the Minnesota State Grant, we most definitely would not have the means to fulfill our
hopes and dreams. My parents have done everything in their power to provide for
us, and it is wonderful being able to give back to them. By going out into the
world and educating ourselves, we will be repaying them in the future… . If
I did not receive the Minnesota State Grant, my chances of continuing my education at Hamline would be
extremely slim."
Lynne Chung
Class of '13, Hamline
University
Hometown: St. Cloud
Earn more education and, on average, you can expect to earn more income. Long proven (see previous research briefs) and often extolled, that connection for individuals is true for states as well.
Minnesota is one of the states with a higher than average share of its population having bachelor's degrees, 31% vs. 28% nationally. And our per capita income is higher than average as well, at $29,400 vs. $27,000. That relationship is true for several states, as shown below, as is the reverse proposition — states with lower than average levels of college graduates typically have lower than average per capita incomes. There are very few states where the two variables are not paired.
Minnesota wasn't always in this position. "Prior to the 1960s, Minnesota was not in the high education-high income category," observed Rob Grunewald, associate economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "But over time Minnesota has benefitted from investments in education and now boasts a vibrant economy with relatively high income."
Since 1940, the percent of the population completing a bachelor's degree has increased from 4% to more than 32%. And starting in the 1960s, our share began to surpass the national average. This growth was likely spurred by the state's investment in education. For context, from 1961 to 1986 the average increase in appropriations to higher education was 13% per year. Over the same time period, inflation-adjusted per capita income has increased 183% in Minnesota compared to 145% for the United States.
"Improving educational outcomes improved the quality of the workforce, matching the demands of the late 20th century economy," concluded a 2011 report from Minnesota's Demography Center, "The Long Run Has Become the Short Run." "Minnesota's achievement was in creating a well-educated, hard-working, easily trained, highly productive workforce that produces quality goods and services."
Returning to the relationship between education and income for individuals, what will the future hold? Steve Hine, research director of the Labor Market Information Office at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, sees the workforce changing in ways that will likely strengthen the relationship. "It has long been recognized that the wage premium earned by those with higher educational attainment is large and has been growing over time," Hine said. "This will undoubtedly continue and likely accelerate in the near future, as growth in occupations requiring such credentials increase more rapidly than low-skill occupations and as continued labor surpluses prolong the challenges jobseekers face in a competitive market."
And at a state level, the relationship doesn't appear likely to diminish either. Looking out over the next 20 years, the Minnesota Demography Center's report notes that "once again, rising productivity will be at the core of successful economies." That speaks to the need for higher education opportunities and achievement levels that will continue to improve productivity in our state.
Job fair helps students take next step
It's easy to imagine the excitement — as well as the apprehension — that about-to-be college graduates are feeling right now as they embark on their job searches. Fortunately, the career offices at Minnesota's Private Colleges are eager help students get off to a good start in this highly competitive job market.
One recent example is the Job and Internship Fair, an annual event now in its 34th year. Held last month at the Minneapolis Convention Center for students from our 17 institutions, the fair attracted 150 employers; about 1,800 undergraduates attended.
Minnesota's Private Colleges are truly committed to helping their students continue to flourish after graduation. "The job fair is a perfect example of how we live up to that commitment," said St. Olaf College President David Anderson. "It brings together organizations that need the skills and talents of our students and our graduates who are eager to take their place in the world. It's a good thing."
Interacting face-to-face with employers
"It's been a very productive day, because face-to-face
interactions are much better than those on the internet or just having someone
look over a résumé," said Anthony Santiago, a communications major at Concordia
University, St. Paul. Although he said he initially felt intimidated, he
quickly adjusted. "After you do a few interviews, you realize you just need to
be yourself, focus on what you've accomplished this far and what you can bring
to their company." Santiago
said he was especially interested in speaking with representatives from
Coldwell Banker, Mutual of Omaha and General Mills.
"One of the major benefits of the fair is that students can learn about a large number of organizations and opportunities in one setting," said Lois Olson, director of Augsburg College's Strommen Career and Internship Center. "Obviously they are hoping to entice the recruiter to grant them an interview at the fair, but students can gain a great deal just from the interactions with employers."
Abigail Ayotte, a public relations senior at Saint
Mary's University of Minnesota,
found her first job fair to be exciting and fun. "This is kind of the start of
the process, trying to find the right questions to ask and figure out how it
works; it's good to get started," she said.
Ayotte had an internship last summer with the Brain Injury Association of Minnesota doing design and communications. "I loved everything I did there; I keep trying to find a job where I would do some of those things," she said. Ayotte noted that there was a lot of variety represented by companies at the fair. "You have to ask basic questions like what they do and how they see their purpose as a company."
Research and effort pays off
The value of a job fair to students is directly related to the amount
of effort they put into preparing for it, Olson said. "Recruiters tell
us over and over that the most impressive students are those who
demonstrate knowledge of the organization, have intelligent questions to ask
and have thought about the way they might fit into the organization." Students
need to have done their research about the company and about themselves, she
emphasized. "Our career centers provide a lot of assistance to help
prepare our students for the fair; employers notice the difference."
Good practice for students
Laura Gehlhar, a psychology major at Bethany
Lutheran College,
attended the fair with friends and had talked to a few different employers and
career placement services. She was looking for a small to mid-sized company
in Minnesota or Wisconsin where she could make a difference helping people in some way. "Most of the
recruiters are pretty friendly, but it's a little intimidating with all these
people in suits and all of us looking for positions at the same level."
More than anything, the fair is great practice for students to work on their career and employment-related communication and professional skills, Olson noted. "Students can gain a lot of confidence putting on their suits and practicing their 'elevator speech' at the job fair."
Duy Nguyen, a junior at the College of St. Scholastica who is majoring in economics, finance and math, attended the fair to look for a summer internship. Nguyen had so far talked with about 7 of the 20 or so companies that he was interested in. They included Apple, Abercrombie and Fitch, Piper Jaffray and Allianz. "I'm looking for something in business or finance. I'm young and hungry — I'm willing to go to other states for an internship," he said.
John Nye, a senior in marketing and human resource
management at Saint Mary's University
of Minnesota, was feeling
comfortable with his job fair experience. "Having marketing as a major has
really helped me market myself, and being in human resources courses helps me
understand people's behavior in terms of how to speak, communicate and
interview," he said. Nye was open to either a job or internship.
Students and employers will have another opportunity to interact at the Virtual Career Fair, coming up on May 3 and 4. Hosted by the Minnesota Private College Career Consortium (a collaboration of our 17 institutions' career offices), this first virtual job fair is for both students and alumni.
Fact you can use
Students enrolled at our 17 institutions save taxpayers more than $300 million in institutional subsidies — which they would incur if they enrolled at public colleges or universities.
Campus news
- Day at the Capitol on Feb. 23 was also The College of St. Scholastica's Spring Community Day. First-year students on the Duluth campus served and delivered meals to community members in need — 988 all told — while more than 100 students, faculty and staff volunteered at nonprofits throughout the community.
- More than a dozen Hamline University students took to the State Capitol to urge their local legislators to protect the State Grant Program. Full story.
- The University of St. Thomas has met its goal of raising $25 million in eight months to qualify for a $25 million challenge grant from an anonymous donor as part of its Opening Doors capital campaign. More than 800 donors each contributed gifts of $1,000 or more to the effort.
- Neil Lutsky, Carleton College William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Psychology, has been named the 2011 recipient of the American Psychological Foundation's Charles L. Brewer Distinguished Teaching of Psychology Award. This award recognizes "a significant career of contributions as an exceptional teacher of psychology."
- Learn about local and global economic development from people who are succeeding — efficiently and with compassion. A panel on "Microfinance in the Urban Core" and Jacqueline Novogratz's "Social Capitalism: An 'App' to Fight Poverty," will be held April 20 at the Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota.
- Bethel University's Graduate School now offers the first entirely online Certificate in International Baccalaureate (IB) Education in the world. The program licenses K-12 teachers in IB schools, and those who successfully complete the program will be eligible to register for the IB Teacher Award through the International Baccalaureate organization.
- Macalester College has received the 2011 Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization. The award, from NAFSA: Association of International Educators, recognizes campuses across the United States for their internationalization efforts.
Briefs
- Federal grants totaling more than $1 million were awarded to Minnesota higher education institutions and nonprofit organizations to support improved K-12 instruction. Of the 19 grants, Hamline University and Macalester College each received two awards and the College of St. Scholastica and Augsburg College each received one award. View the list of recipients and the projects.
- The admission directors at Minnesota's Private Colleges will host an informational breakfast for high school counselors on April 18 in Maple Grove. Admission staff will provide updates on what is going on at our 17 institutions.
- The Minnesota Private College Career Consortium (a collaboration of our 17 institutions' career offices) hosts its first Virtual Career Fair, May 3-4. Our students and alumni are invited to participate, as are employers. Visit the website for more information and to register.
- Research has shown that low-income students in the U.S. do not enroll in or complete college at the same rate as their higher-income peers. A new report by the Research Foundation shows that when grant aid is high (resulting in lower tuition), enrollment of low-income students increases.
