A day after the University of Minnesota offered to freeze tuition in exchange for more state funds, Minnesota's other public universities and colleges appear to be heading in the same direction.

On Friday, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system posted a proposal on its website, saying it, too, would like to freeze tuition for two more years at its schools, if the state boosts its funding by a total of $142 million.

The proposal is slated to be discussed by the Board of Trustees at its annual retreat next week, according to spokesman Doug Anderson. But he declined to comment on the proposal itself. "This hasn't been finalized by any stretch," he said Friday.

Two years ago, all of the state's public colleges and universities agreed to freeze tuition through this year as part of an agreement with the state to increase their funding.

The latest proposals would extend the freeze, for in-state residents, through 2017.

The proposal drafted by MnSCU officials says it would need $72 million to cover the costs of a freeze at its 31 colleges and universities — the equivalent of a 3 percent raise in tuition. At the same time, it said it would need an additional $70 million in state funds to cover increases in operating costs, such as a 2 percent raise for employees.

Without the additional funds, the proposal goes on to say, "the consequences will be real and devastating." The schools would face a budget shortfall that would result in program closures across the state. "Layoffs of faculty and staff will be necessary and inevitable," the proposal says.

The formal budget request must be approved by the Board of Trustees before it's submitted to the Legislature.

The MnSCU system has the largest number of college students in the state, with 430,000 students enrolled in its programs last year. The system includes St. Cloud State University, Metropolitan State University and five other state universities, as well as 24 two-year colleges.

On Thursday, President Eric Kaler of the University of Minnesota unveiled a similar proposal, seeking $127 million in additional state funds to cover the cost of a tuition freeze and other initiatives over the next two years. The Board of Regents is expected to vote on the proposal in October.

Maura Lerner • 612-673-7384