>> Cathy: WE'RE SPENDING A CHUNK OF THIS SUMMER TAKING A LOOK AT MANY OF THE NEW LAWS PUT IN PLACE BY THE 2023 LEGISLATURE AND GOVERNOR WALZ.

UP THIS WEEK, MINNESOTA'S NEW FREE COLLEGE TUITION PLAN - THE NORTH STAR PROMISE PROGRAM.

STUDENTS MUST MEET SEVERAL ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS AND COME FROM A FAMILY WITH AN ADJUSTED INCOME UNDER $80,000.

HERE WITH MORE ON HOW THE PROGRAM WILL WORK, THE CHIEF AUTHOR OF THE BILL IN THE HOUSE.

REPRESENTATIVE GENE PELOWSKI IS FROM WINONA.

GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, Mr.

CHAIR, IT'S BEEN AWHILE.

>> GOOD TO SEE BOTH OF YOU, THANK YOU.

>> Cathy: WHAT ISSUE IS THIS LAW TRYING TO ADDRESS?

>> WELL, THE HIGHER ED BILL OF THIS SESSION IS THE MOST EXPANSIVE HIGHER ED BILL IN MY 38 YEARS AT THE MINNESOTA HOUSE.

SO WE HAD $650 MILLION OF NEW SPENDING.

200 MILLION OF IT WAS ONE TIME, 450 ONGOING.

NOW, YOU MENTIONED ONE PROGRAM, BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL.

WE FROZE TUITION IN THE MINNSTATE SYSTEM, WE REATED TWO PROGRAMS IN THE MINNSTATE SYSTEM FOR BUSINESSES TO CONTRIBUTE MONEY SO THAT THEY COULD EITHER MATCH EQUIPMENT OR INTERNSHIPS OR OTHER ITEMS SO THIS IS ALL ABOUT PROVIDING MINNESOTA WITH A SKILLED WORKFORCE.

>> Eric: TELL US ABOUT THE ENROLLMENT IMPLICATIONS, BECAUSE I KNOW THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN LEAKING A LITTLE BIT OF ENROLLMENT.

>> NOT JUST A LITTLE BIT.

>> Eric: OKAY.

>> I REQUIRED ALL OF THE SYSTEMS THIS SESSION TO PRESENT ENROLLMENT FROM 2013 TO THE PRESENT BY CAMPUS.

SO THAT IS THE MINNSTATE SYSTEM, THE U OF M, AND THE PRIVATE COLLEGES.

AND WHAT WE FOUND OUT, ST.

CLOUD IS DOWN 44%, MORRIS IS IS DOWN OVER 40%.

ALL OF THE CAMPUSES EXCEPT FOR REALLY ONE IS DOWN IN ENROLLMENT.

NOW, THE MAIN CAMPUS OF THE U IS ABOUT LEVEL.

SO THE THRUST OF OUR HEARINGS WERE HOW DO WE TURN THAT AROUND.

AND YOU MENTIONED THE NORTH STAR PROMISE, FREEZING TUITION, AND ALSO INCENTIVE FOR BUSINESSES TO CONTRIBUTE TO MAKE SURE THESE PROGRAMS PROVIDE US WITH SKILLED WORKERS.

>> Cathy: TALK ABOUT THIS TUITION PROGRAM, THE MINNESOTA PROMISE PROGRAM.

SO YOU THINK THIS MIGHT PUMP UP ENROLLMENT WITH KIDS WHO ARE NEEDING THE HELP, RIGHT?

>> ONE WAY I KNOW IT'S WORKING IS NORTH DAKOTA'S COMPLAINING ABOUT IT ALREADY.

AND WHEN WE HAVE NORTH DAKOTA ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORS COMPLAINING ABOUT IT, I KNOW WE'RE DOING A GOOD THING.

I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE BIG INCENTIVES FOR GETTING YOUNG PEOPLE TO GET A SKILLED EMPLOYMENT AND GO BACK INTO THE WORKFORCE AND WE DESPERATELY NEED THEM.

>> Cathy: WHY IS NORTH DAKOTA COMPLAINING BY THE WAY?

>> THAT THIS IS GOING TO STEAL STUDENTS FROM THEM, WHICH I APPRECIATE GREATLY.

>> Eric: IS THERE GOING TO BE AN ONGOING RAPIDLY EXPANDING COST FOR THIS THING AS MORE AND MORE KIDS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT >> OKAY, NOW YOU BROUGHT UP WHAT I REALLY APPRECIATE.

I'M GOING TO HAVE OVERSIGHT HEARINGS IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER ON HOW THIS 650 MILLION ROLLS OUT.

AND I WANTED AT THE CAMPUS LEVEL AND I ALSO WANT TO SEE HOW THE OFFICE OF HIGHER ED IS SETTING STANDARDS FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM.

THEN IN JANUARY WE'LL HAVE AT LEAST ONE OR TWO HEARINGS IN ANTICIPATION OF THE FEBRUARY 12TH START OF SESSION.

I WANT TO KNOW N DETAIL HOW THE SYSTEMS BY CAMPUS ARE SPENDING THIS MONEY SO THAT IF WE DO HAVE ANY RESOURCES AVAILABLE STARTING FEBRUARY 12TH, WE CAN ASSIST THEM OR IF WE DON'T, HOW ARE WE GOING TO MAKE CHANGES TO MAKE THIS WORK.

>> Eric: ANY MARCHING ORDERS TO THE MINN SYSTEM LIKE CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION, MAYBE CLOSING CAMPUSES DOWN THE LINE?

THESE ARE ALL POLITICALLY FRAUGHT, I KNOW.

>> I THINK WHAT MINNESOTA'S DONE THIS SESSION IS ONE OF THE MOST HISTORIC CHANGES IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE STATE.

AND I'LL ADD TWO CAVEATS.

FOR THE FIRST TIME BOTH THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA AND MINNSTATE HAVE PICKED LEADERS FROM INSIDE MINNESOTA.

THE NEW CHANCELLOR IS SCOTT OLSON FROM WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY.

I KNOW HIM VERY WELL, AND THE U INTERIM PRESIDENT IS JEFF ETTINGER, I MET HIM TWO WEEKS AGO.

I BRIEFED HIM ON WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.

I AM CONFIDENT HESE TWO ARE GOING TO TURN THINGS ROUND.

>> Eric: WHAT QUALITIES WOULD YOU LOOK FOR?

>> I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A PRESIDENT WITH HANDS-ON APPROACH.

WHEN WE ROLLED OUT THE BUDGET EARLIER THE PRESIDENT WAS IN KOREA.

I THINK IF YOU'RE ROLLING OUT A BUDGET WITH 650 MILLION IN NEW MONEY THE LEAST YOU CAN DO IS BE IN THE STATE.

>> Cathy: SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE PRETTY HAPPY SHE'S GONE.

>> I'M NOT GOING TO COMMENT ON THAT, I'M VERY HAPPY WE HAVE JEFF ETTINGER.

>> Cathy: I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE PROMISE PROGRAM.

ARE THERE TAILS TO THIS?

>> THERE WILL BE TAILS AND WE'RE GOING TO MONITOR CLOSELY THE ENROLLMENT OF THIS PROGRAM BECAUSE WE MAY HAVE TO SUBSIDIZE IT.

THAT'S WHY I WANT TO HAVE OVERSIGHT HEARINGS IN THE BEGINNING AND WANT TO MONITOR WHEN IT ROLLS OUT.

>> Eric: SO YOU'RE THINKING THIS IS LANDMARK AT A TIME WHEN HIGHER ED IS UNDER SOME STRESS.

>> LOOKING AT THE DECLINING ENROLLMENT OVER A DECADE AND IT'S ACROSS ALL THREE SYSTEMS, PRIVATE, PUBLIC, AND THE U, WE HAVE TO TURN IT AROUND AND WE HAVE TO TURN IT AROUND TO GIVE MINNESOTA SKILLED WORKERS, AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT.