MnSCU reacts to Pawlenty's tuition cap proposal

Officials with the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system say they need more details on Gov. Tim Pawlenty's plan to cap higher education tuition increases.

Pawlenty made the proposal during yesterday's State of the State speech. He says it would add a new element of cost accountability for higher education institutions.

Laura King, vice chancellor and chief financial officer of MnSCU, says state support and tuition are the system's only funding options.

"It's particularly challenging to us because we know that we already rank 46th in the whole United States in per student spending on administration," said King. "We think we're running a very efficient, technology-aided system already, and don't know that we could take another large cut in state support without there being impacts on students."

King says she didn't hear enough details in Pawlenty's speech to know what he has in mind. The governor will release budget details later this month.

In the last two years, MnSCU raised tuition 2.8 percent and 3.6 percent, respectively.

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