Students at the seven Minnesota State universities would face a 3.9 percent, or $272, increase in tuition this fall, under a proposed budget released Friday.
At the same time, average tuition at the state's two-year colleges would rise by 1 percent, or $48 a year, to $4,815 a year. It would be the first time the rate has increased in five years.
At the four-year universities, the new average tuition would be $7,288 a year.
The proposal, which was posted on the system's website Friday, describes the new rates as "modest but necessary tuition increases."
The proposal would, in effect, return tuition at the two-year colleges to the same rate that was in effect in the 2012-13 school year. That rate was frozen by state law until last year, when the Legislature mandated a 1 percent tuition cut.
In practice, though, many students will feel little effect of the tuition hikes because of increases in financial aid, said Laura King, the vice chancellor of finance. About a third of Minnesota State students receive federal or state grants that would cover most, if not all, of the extra costs, she said.
Last fall, Minnesota State officials had offered to freeze tuition for all students until 2019 if state lawmakers approved a $178 million increase for the system's colleges and universities. But the state appropriation, approved in May, fell short. It authorized a $106 million increase over the next two years, about 60 percent of the request.
Faical Rayani, 22, a student leader at Minnesota State University, Mankato, said he's disappointed that the Legislature refused to fund a tuition freeze. "I would have liked to have done a better job lobbying; clearly it wasn't enough," said Rayani, who is incoming state chair of Students United, the student association for all seven state universities.
