May 2006

IN THIS ISSUE

• Survey measures Minnesotans perceived importance of higher education
  
• Galileo Scholarship Fund supports STEM students
  
• Tuition rises — but so does grant aid
  
• Women of Color leadership initiative
  

Survey measures Minnesotans perceived importance of higher education
Minnesotans increasingly view higher education as an important source of state economic growth. In fact, 94 percent of Minnesotans believe higher education is critical for economic vitality and progress, an increase over 2003.

These results came from the 2005 Minnesota State Survey, a telephone survey on issues including education, quality of life, health and employment, conducted by the Minnesota Center for Survey Research at the University of Minnesota. Respondents were a randomly selected sample of Minnesota adults. It revealed that:

• 92 percent agree that increasing the number of students who complete a bachelor’s degree is essential to the economic vitality of the state
• 82 percent believe Minnesota risks a shortage of skilled workers if the state does not increase college access and attainment for minority and low-income students

Even though policy discussions often revolve around state-by-state rankings, the public understands that being the best nationally is not enough:

• 91 percent think Minnesota must be competitive against other countries in order to ensure economic growth

Minnesotans continue to support the notion that the cost of college attendance should be shared between students, families and taxpayers:

• 65 percent replied that the state should pay a substantial part of the cost of college
• 75 percent think the student and family should pay substantially

The State Grant Program has this ideal as its core principle. Through the Design for Shared Responsibility model, the cost of attending college is apportioned to students, families and the federal and state governments based on students’ and families’ demonstrated needs.

Growing public perception indicates that need-based aid and access to higher education are high priorities for Minnesotans, but low priorities at the legislature:

• 90 percent say the state should not allow the price of a college education to prevent students from attaining their degree
• Nearly 80 percent think that legislators are not doing enough to ensure access and affordability in higher education

While these results show public support for higher education, support continues to decline in importance on the larger statewide agenda. When asked about the most important problems facing our state today, education ranks fourth behind the economy, health care and social issues. Among those who mention education, the majority believe K-12 financing and quality are more urgent problems than higher education.

Galileo Scholarship Fund supports STEM students

In today’s global economy, Minnesota’s prosperity requires a base of individuals well prepared to innovate in the quantitative and technical fields. Our economic forecast projects a 20-33 percent increase in scientific and technical occupations in the next ten years. New growth in the professional and high tech industries will demand an extra 10,500 college graduates per year.

Our colleges and universities currently graduate 42 percent of the state’s math and science majors. This scholarship will help us maintain our leadership and give us an edge in continuing to attract students to these programs.

We are proud that our schools have a growing number of pre-college programs that pave the way for junior high and high school students who want to study in STEM fields. For more information about pre-college opportunities, view the 2006 Summer Enrichment Guide http://www.mmep.net/Summer_Enrichment_2006.html produced by the Minnesota Minority Education Partnership.

For more information about the Galileo Scholarship Fund, e-mail us at fund.scholarships@mnprivatecolleges.org or call (888) PRI-FUND.

Tuition rises — but so does grant aid
The Annual Survey of Standard Student Charges conducted by the Minnesota Private College Research Foundation showed that average tuition and fees at MPCC member institutions will increase by 6.4 percent for the next (2006-07) academic year. With nearly all students receiving some form of financial assistance however, these rates do not indicate what families actually pay for college.

Average tuition and fees will be $24,744, a 6.1 percent over last year’s average. These increases are comparable to expected increases at private institutions nationwide and at public institutions in Minnesota and in many other states. They also must be weighed against roughly 8 percent annual increases in all forms of grant aid. 

When grants, work-study awards and loans are included, the average “calculated aid package” (total aid divided by the total number of recipients) for MPCC students in 2003-04 was $16,850 — nearly two-thirds of the average comprehensive charges for that year.  For most students, a third to a half of the total aid package comes from loans, leaving a growing gap between actual charges and the amount that families can afford to pay. 

State and federal grant sources have failed to keep up with rising costs in recent years.  This leaves colleges to struggle to make education affordable. All higher education institutions in Minnesota and the nation are providing an increasing share of grant aid. In 2003-04, MPCC institutions provided more than three-quarters of all gift aid for their students.

Our colleges strongly believe that need-based financial aid is an efficient and effective way to insure broad access to quality higher education in Minnesota.  We continue to advocate for a stronger commitment to need-based financial aid as the best way to support our students and future leaders.

Women of Color leadership initiative

MPCC is seeking applications from qualified women students of color on its campuses for a leadership initiative. The Foundation for Independent Higher Education (FIHE) with a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation will select 50 women for its project to prepare young, collegiate women of color as future leaders and increase gender and ethnic diversity in the work place.

Women must be completing their junior year at a private college or university. Applications are due to MPCC by May 19 so that all Minnesota applications can be submitted together. Participants will attend a summer leadership institute in August, be matched with a mentor, and receive a stipend for a project on their campus. Application materials should be forwarded to the Minnesota Private College Fund, Bremer Tower, 445 Minnesota St., Suite 500, St. Paul, MN 55101 or fund.scholarship@mnprivatecolleges.org | More information about the Women of Color initiative

The Minnesota Private College Council, Fund and Research Foundation represent 17 of the state’s most respected four-year, liberal arts colleges and universities as well as more than 54,000 students. We are: Augsburg College, Bethany Lutheran College, Bethel University, Carleton College, Concordia College (Moorhead), Concordia University (St. Paul), College of Saint Benedict, College of St. Catherine, College of St. Scholastica, Gustavus Adolphus College, Hamline University, Macalester College, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Saint John’s University, St. Olaf College, and the University of St. Thomas.