The $2.6 billion higher education bill that emerged from the Capitol on Tuesday makes deep cuts -- 8.8 percent for this year compared to current higher education spending.

That's a slightly smaller cut than the 10.9 percent reduction passed by the GOP conference committee. But it's still much larger than the cut proposed in Gov. Dayton's budget, which reduced higher ed spending by 2.3 percent.

Most of the tuition caps were dropped, as was language that would have limited "human cloning."

Here are some highlights:

  • Limits on tuition increases are removed for the University of Minnesota and MnSCU's four-year universities. But limits for MnSCU's two-year schools remain.
  • Funding for the University of Minnesota is cut by 10.3 percent compared to current levels, to an "all funds" $547.5 million for fiscal year 2012. That's $25.2 million more than the U's budget planned for.
  • Funding for MnSCU is cut by 10.6 percent compared to current levels.
  • The State Grant Program gets $155 million -- a 7.3 percent increase. That's exactly what the GOP wanted.
  • About 1 percent of the U and MnSCU's funding is dependent on meeting certain benchmarks, including graduation rates.