NEWS | November 2006 - all articles
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Minnesota Private College Council releases Education Agenda for the Common Good
Paying her way: one student’s financial aid story
Minnesota’s private colleges: diverse, accessible and in demand
Internships give students an edge
Reason two (from 10 reasons Minnesota needs private colleges)
Minnesota Private College Council releases Education Agenda for the Common Good
Given that Minnesota’s need for college-educated graduates will soon exceed the supply, the Minnesota Private College Council (MPCC) has released a $327 million education agenda that aims to put more students on a path to college. The agenda focuses on two key areas: preparing more high school students to pursue additional education and on helping keep college affordable for low- and middle-income students.
“State policymakers can help put more students on a path to college success. The state’s competitiveness depends on it,” said David Etzwiler, senior director, the Medtronic Foundation and government affairs, Medtronic, and chair of MPCC’s Public Policy Committee.
Preparing more high school students
To prepare more high school students for additional education, policy makers are asked to target students whose parents have not completed college themselves. Less likely than their peers to prepare for and enroll in post-high school education, these “first-generation” students would be supported with better access to proven support programs and offers of new state scholarships that would reward hard work in high school.
“It is increasingly clear that all students need to continue their educations after high school, whether that is at a technical program, community college, public university or one of our liberal arts institutions. Yet many students don’t even complete high school itself, let alone graduate prepared to continue their educations,” said Brian Rosenberg, Macalester College president and chair of the MPCC board. “Everyone will benefit if the state acts to address this challenge.”
Not yet tried in other states, the proposal to set up Minnesota First Generation Academic Scholarships targets the state’s limited resources where they can have the greatest benefit for the state as a whole. The share of high school students whose parents haven’t completed college is expected to grow to more than 40 percent of high school students in the coming years.
The scholarships would build up as the students take and pass rigorous courses, starting in 9th grade. When they graduate, these first-generation students could have up to $5,000 in a 529 Plan to pay for any post-high school education. While policymakers would need to further define elements of this proposal, MPCC estimates that the proposal would cost the state $100 million over the biennium.
Helping keep college affordable
The other focus for private colleges is improving the ability of low- and middle-income Minnesotans to afford to continue their educations after high school. Along with improving support for student parents who are juggling childcare and tuition costs, the agenda asks policymakers to recommit to need-based state aid for college students, through the State Grant Program.
“Increasing need-based state aid for college students is the best, most efficient way to help keep college affordable and target limited state dollars,” said David B. Laird, Jr., MPCC president.
The value of the state’s average need-based award has been shrinking. For students at Minnesota’s public and private colleges and universities, over the last five years the average State Grant award has fallen 14 percent, in inflation-adjusted dollars. And as the State Grant support has become a far smaller piece of undergraduate financial aid, students have relied increasingly on grants from institutions and student loans.
With a $191 million recommendation for new spending on need-based aid over the next biennium, this is the largest portion of the suggested new spending in the MPCC agenda. Most students who receive this aid attend public colleges and universities; only 13 percent attend one of the private, nonprofit institutions that are MPCC members.
“This agenda puts the state’s needs front and center,” Laird said. “Without new state effort, the number of college graduates is forecast to fall 12 percent. Meanwhile, our economy will require twice as many graduates. Now is the time for Minnesota to act on an education agenda that focuses on our common good.”
More about the Education Agenda for the Common Good
Paying her way: one student’s financial aid story
Just how important is the State Grant Program and other financial aid to Minnesota students? Consider the case of Heather Johnson, who attends the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, Minn. Johnson is the first in her family to attend college and expects to graduate with an economics degree next spring. She says that her parents are very proud of her and wish they could help with finances, but her dad is retired and her mom’s earnings from Schwan’s in Marshall, Minn. are needed to support the family. Determined to get a college education, Johnson is paying her own way.
“I chose St. Ben’s/St. John’s because of their friendly atmosphere and beautiful outdoor setting,” Johnson says. “The classes are small, which means that the professors actually know your name. It is great to attend college where everyone’s goal is to help you succeed.”
She receives quite a bit of financial aid, and the largest single source is the State Grant. “Without financial aid, I would not be able to attend any college, let alone St. Ben’s,” she says.
Adding it up
Here’s how Johnson covers the annual costs of her tuition, fees and room:
$ 4,848 — Minnesota State Grant
$10,550 — 5 merit scholarships given by St. Ben’s
$ 2,800 — Federal Pell Grant
$ 5,500 — Stafford Loan
$ 2,500 — income from Work Study (she works 10-12 hours per week on campus in an administrative job and as a teaching assistant)
$ 2,952 — summer earnings and savings
$29,150 TOTAL
Additionally, Johnson spends about $3,500 for books, groceries, and miscellaneous expenses during the school year.
Despite the significant financial aid she receives, Johnson expects to graduate $30,000 in debt. “I hope to get a job as soon as I graduate, since loan payments start in June 2007. My goal is to pay off my debt in ten years.” She would like to work in a financial aid office or else in human resources — preferably in a southern state, “where it’s warm,” she laughs.
Working hard
It helps that Johnson is a very good student but she has had to hold two part-time jobs, says Jane Haugen, executive director of financial aid at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University. “Even with generous aid, she has had to make sacrifices and work hard,” Haugen says.
According to Johnson, it has definitely been worth it. “I did know when I was applying to colleges that I would have a large amount of debt no matter where I decided to go. Thanks to the generous financial aid of the state, federal government, and St. Ben’s, I will graduate with less debt than I could have if I had gone somewhere else,” she says.
For more information, see Financial aid 101
Minnesota’s private colleges: diverse, accessible and in demand
The 17 member institutions of the Minnesota Private College Council (MPCC) foster success for the state by ensuring that excellence is within reach for a diverse array of students. In fall 2006, MPCC schools enrolled 57,032 students, an increase of 2.7 percent in headcount enrollments, and an increase of 2.3 percent in fulltime equivalent (FTE) enrollments. Headcount enrollment increases have averaged 2.1 percent yearly over the past decade. This year’s increase is driven by growth among students of color.
Minnesota’s private colleges are diverse
In fall 2006, 5,762 students of color and 1,547 foreign students enrolled at a Minnesota private college. Enrollments of undergraduate students of color increased from 2,793 to 4,408 over the past 10 years — 58 percent growth compared to 8 percent growth over the same period for White non-Hispanic undergraduates. The greatest increases were seen among African American (up 96 percent) and Hispanic undergraduates (up 57 percent). Graduate students of color on our campuses have doubled over the past decade from 582 students in fall 1996 to 1,354 in fall 2006.
Students of color are also leading the growth in new student enrollments with a five percent increase in freshmen students of color from fall 2005 to fall 2006. Among transfer students, the increase in students of color was more dramatic (up 15 percent) for the same period. Students of color comprise 13 percent of new entering students. In terms of degrees granted, it is worth noting that private colleges award 29 percent of bachelor’s degrees that go to students of color in the state — and 37 percent of the master’s degrees.
Minnesota private colleges also enroll more than half of all foreign undergraduates choosing Minnesota for higher education with 482 foreign graduate students and 1,065 foreign undergraduates. All 17 of our campuses have students actively engaged in community-based learning and international education, and several of our colleges and universities are nationally recognized for their high percentages of students who study abroad.
Minnesota’s Private Colleges are accessible
Financial aid is a critical component in making a private college education accessible to Minnesota students. More than 25 percent of private college students come from families with incomes less than $50,000 — about the same proportion as at the state's public four-year colleges and universities.
Making college financially accessible for lower-income students is especially important since they are more likely to be the first in their family to enroll in college and typically have less information about college than their peers.
An integral part of Minnesota’s higher education enterprise
Looking at the larger picture, it is important to remember how private colleges are one branch of higher education in the state. The other two are Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system (MnSCU) and the University of Minnesota. These systems have a synergistic relationship. The public community colleges, for example, often “feed” four-year institutions, and MPCC institutions produce about one-third of the graduates that enroll in graduate programs at the University of Minnesota. It takes the combined efforts of all three systems to produce the number of educated workers our state needs to remain economically competitive. See more information about the Higher Education Enterprise
In this context, private colleges are vital partners in providing an educated, diverse citizenry for our state’s future.
Internships give students an edge
Cathryn Baker’s participation in mentoring and internship programs while attending Edison High School in Minneapolis helped her discover that she wanted to attend college and major in business. So she was delighted then when she was accepted at the University of St. Thomas which has a business program that she deemed one of the best. During her sophomore year, INROADS, corporate recruiters came to campus and Baker was persuaded by a friend to hear what they had to say about their internship program.
At first, Baker found the program a little intimidating, with its rigor and minimum two-year commitment, but she decided to challenge herself. “It was the best thing I ever did,” she says. Baker was placed at Target Corporation, where she worked during the summers of 2004 and 2005. Target then invited her to stay and work part-time during the 2005-06 school year.
INROADS places talented minority college students in internships with corporations and provides support and guidance to ensure their success. Students can start an internship as early as the summer after they graduate from high school so it can last up to four years. Students benefit from the coaching, advising and professional, personal and career development support. Corporations appreciate INROADS interns because it gives them access to a future talent pool while adding more diversity to their work forces.
“My internship taught me about business etiquette, networking, interviewing and what to wear,” says Baker. “I used to be shy and not very confident, but I learned what to do and how to just be myself.” Each INROADS intern is assigned a business coach and Baker’s was a great source of support. “I called her all the time to ask ‘how do I do this, how do I say that.’”
Baker says that once she learned how to network effectively she found it to be valuable and enjoyable, and she loved the interview process. During her senior year in the spring of 2006, INROADS helped Baker line up seven interviews – five for positions at Target. She was offered all seven positions and chose a communications associate position at Target. “I wanted to continue to develop my writing and business skills and the group seemed fun,” she says.
According to Melvin Collins, strategic accounts manager at INROADS, internships are no longer a luxury for those seeking to be competitive in the marketplace. “It is now an imperative, and college students need to expend maximum effort to ensure they gain the valuable experience that internships provide.” Collins cited a survey by the National Association of College and Employers reporting that 70 percent of employers prefer new hires with job or internship experience.
The internship advantage
Jennifer Kaysen Rogers, employer relations specialist at the University of St. Thomas, agrees. “Over the past ten years internships have become more important for both college students and employers. Students get to “test-drive” a career; learning what it is like to work in a professional setting. They learn what they like, what they don’t like, their strengths, and skill areas to develop. Some have changed majors as a result, but most just appreciate the hands-on experience.
Employers have always valued additional help, but the trend among larger corporations is to develop sophisticated internship programs that act as a screening tool for new, professional employees, according to Rogers. “This means that students interested in corporate life need to be strategic about the internships they apply for, making sure they are truly interested in that career field and that company, because their internship could lead them to their post-graduation job,” she says.
Students at all 17 member institutions of the Minnesota Private College Council (MPCC) participate in internships; eight have students in the INROADS program. Career offices offer a variety of resources to help both students and employers get the benefits of internships. On February 20-21, Minnesota private colleges will host the 30th annual Job and Internship Fair at the Minneapolis Convention Center.
“My internship helped bring me out,” says Baker. I discovered that you have to take ownership of your goals, and that was what helped me get a full-time job.” So what would she say to other students considering doing an INROADS or other internship? “Do it…just do it!” she laughs.
Reason two (10 Reasons Minnesota needs private colleges)
Meeting science and technology demands
The private colleges award one-third of all baccalaureate degrees in Minnesota, including:
- 49 percent of all mathematics degrees
- 41 percent of all biological and physical science degrees
- 40 percent of all health profession degrees
- 28 percent of the combined science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines
See all 10 Reasons