Minnesota
Minnesota State system enrollment up for 2023-24 school year, first time in a decade
College enrollment is up across the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system for the first time in over a decade, according to Chancellor Scott Olson.
The Minnesota State system consists of 33 public community and technical colleges and state universities around the state.
While enrollment has been declining at colleges nationwide for years, Olson credits recent state investments in higher education for reversing the trend.
“Increasing financial support for students through new programs like the North Star Promise, as well as the state grant program, the emergency assistance grant program, the Minnesota American Indian scholarship program, and other things you’ve invested in, all help students make decisions about attending college,” Olson said while presenting to the State Senate higher education committee on Tuesday, Feb. 20.
In a 2023 bill, the Minnesota Legislature allocated over $4 billion to higher education, then establishing two tuition- and fee-free pathways for Minnesota residents.
The North Star Promise Scholarship Program covers tuition and fees for an undergraduate education at Minnesota’s public two- and four-year colleges and universities. The program is available starting Fall 2024 for Minnesota residents with a family-adjusted gross income below $80,000.
An estimated 15,000 students will benefit from the North Star program in its first year, according to the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.
The American Indian Scholars Program is for Minnesota residents who are enrolled members or citizens of a federally recognized American Indian Tribe or Canadian First Nation or who are enrolled members or citizens of Minnesota Tribal Nations, regardless of residency. It provides full tuition and fee waivers for students pursuing an undergraduate education at Minnesota’s public two- and four-year colleges and universities.
Olson reported enrollment improved 2 percent across the Minnesota State system in the 2023-2024 school year, for an estimated total of about 107,000 students across the system, with growth driven by increasing numbers in community and technical colleges. In comparison, Minnesota State had about 126,000 students in 2018-2019.
As of Tuesday, Olson said applications are up 18 percent in their system for fall 2024.
Minnesota State’s success reflects a national trend towards community colleges and shorter credential programs. In January, the National Student Clearinghouse reported enrollment growth was highest at community colleges for fall 2023. Enrollment for both certificate and associate degree programs grew by about 2 percent, compared to less than one percent for bachelor’s degrees.
“There’s optimism that this trend of annual enrollment growth will continue into the near and far future,” Olson said.
Meanwhile, the University of Minnesota said at the meeting that enrollment declined minimally at four of its five campuses between the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years. Overall, total system enrollment has fluctuated nominally over the past 10 years, generally holding around 67,000 to 68,000 students.
The two higher education institutions shared their enrollment numbers before making requests for millions of dollars in investments to improve aging facilities and supplement operating budgets.
The University of Minnesota is seeking $500 million to preserve and replace buildings, and $45 million for operating costs. Minnesota State is seeking $541.4 million for building preservation and replacement, and $61 million for operational spending.
Minnesota
Minnesota investigators say child care centers captured in viral video were operating as expected
Minnesota
Game Recap: Kings 5, Wild 4 (S/O) | Minnesota Wild
Matt Boldy scored late in the third to tie it and ultimately send the game to overtime, helping the Wild (25-10-8) extend their point streak to six games (3-0-3). Brock Faber had a goal and an assist, Jake Middleton and Joel Eriksson Ek also scored, and Jesper Wallstedt made 34 saves.
It was the second game of a back-to-back for Minnesota, which is coming off a 5-2 win at the Anaheim Ducks on Friday. The Wild and Kings will play again in Los Angeles on Monday.
“It was far from perfect of a game from us,” Faber said. “I thought we could have played better. With that quick turnaround, we’ll take the point. Now we need two in the next.”
Kempe put the Kings up 1-0 at 6:08 of the first period, scoring on a wrist shot from close range off Anze Kopitar’s cross-slot pass from below the goal line.
Middleton tied it up 1-1 at 8:28, getting his first goal of the season in 36 games on a snap shot from the left circle set up by Mats Zuccarello.
“I think he thought I was Kirill (Kaprizov) in the slot there, so it was nice to get one,” Middleton joked. “I normally have a few goals before I take 35 games off from scoring, so this one was getting a little stressful but we got it out of the way.”
Perry gave Los Angeles a 2-1 lead at 16:57 of the second period when Byfield’s shot struck him in the wrist and redirected in for the power-play goal.
Eriksson Ek tied it 2-2 at 18:23 on the power play, taking Quinn Hughes’ stretch pass at the offensive blue line for a short breakaway, fending off defenseman Joel Edmundson and scoring on a wrist shot from the left circle.
Byfield put Los Angeles back in front 3-2 at 4:54 of the third period. He shot the puck caroming off the boards back into the crease, where Wallstedt lost it in his skates and it was eventually knocked in by a Wild stick during the ensuing scramble in front.
“Shouldn’t be, that was terrible,” Byfield joked when asked if he knew it was his goal. “No, it’s good. I think it’s two now that were liked that, so I’ll take them how they come.”
Minnesota
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on the defensive as fraud allegations mount after viral video uncovered Somali aid scheme
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz pushed back against the ever-growing fraud allegations levied against him in the disastrous aftermath of a viral video where an independent journalist cracked open a crucial part of the alleged Somali aid scheme.
A spokesperson for Walz, a Democrat who frequently provokes President Trump’s ire, addressed a bombshell video posted by conservative YouTuber Nick Shirley.
“The governor has worked for years to crack down on fraud and ask the state legislature for more authority to take aggressive action. He has strengthened oversight — including launching investigations into these specific facilities, one of which was already closed,” the spokesperson told Fox News.
The spokesperson added that Walz has “hired an outside firm to audit payments to high-risk programs, shut down the Housing Stabilization Services program entirely, announced a new statewide program integrity director, and supported criminal prosecutions.”
In the 43-minute video published on Friday, Shirley and a Minnesotan named David travel around Minneapolis and visit multiple childcare and learning centers allegedly owned by Somali immigrants.
Many were either shuttered entirely, despite signage indicating they were open, or helmed by staff who refused to participate in the video.
One of the buildings they visited displayed a misspelled sign reading “Quality Learing Center.” The ‘learning’ center is supposed to account for at least 99 children and funneled roughly $4 million in state funds, according to the video.
Shirley appeared on Fox News’ “The Big Weekend Show” on Sunday evening and boasted about his findings. He joked that the alleged scheme was “so obvious” that a “kindergartener could figure out there is fraud going on.”
“Fraud is fraud, and we work too hard simply just to be paying taxes and enabling fraud to be happening,” Shirley said.
“There better be change. People are demanding it. The investigation have been launched just from that video alone. So there better be change, like I said we work way too hard to be paying taxes and not knowing where our money’s going,” he added.
Many officials have echoed Shirley’s calls for change, with FBI Director Kash Patel even announcing that the agency surged extra personnel to investigate the resources doled out to Minnesota. He said this is one of the first steps in a wide-reaching effort to “dismantle large-scale fraud schemes exploiting federal programs.”
Federal investigators say half of the $18 billion granted to Minnesota since 2018 could have been stolen by fraudulent schemes — amounting to up to $9 billion in theft.
As of Saturday evening, 86 people have been charged in relation to these fraud scams, with 59 convicted so far.
Most of those accused of fraud come from Minnesota’s Somali community.
Shirley’s mega-viral video cracked 100 million views Sunday night.
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