Minnesota
South Dakota clarifies end of longstanding college tuition agreement with Minnesota
SIOUX FALLS — South Dakota students planning to attend Minnesota public schools are facing financial uncertainty after the South Dakota Board of Regents quietly ended tuition reciprocity with their eastern-border neighbors late last year.
The Board of Regents (BOR) Academic and Student Affairs Office in Pierre this week alerted high schools that a longstanding shared tuition discount agreement with Minnesota for cross-border students attending their schools is over. The agreement dates back to 1978.
The change eliminates a tuition discount for South Dakota students attending college in Minnesota.
“The reciprocity agreement between South Dakota and Minnesota was not renewed for the academic year 2024 – 2025,” BOR’s System Academic Program Manager Molly Weisgram wrote in an email sent to school guidance counselors Wednesday. “Our state has excellent higher education institutions and opportunities, and our goal as the public university system is to grow South Dakota’s workforce.”
Response to North Star Promise
BOR made the move to end reciprocity in December, amid the backdrop of Minnesota’s aggressive tuition subsidization, the North Star Promise, that will make college free for tens of thousands of North Star State scholars beginning this fall. At the same time, the South Dakota Regents extended in-state tuition to Minnesota residents.
The shift is intended to attract Minnesotans to South Dakota universities, lowering tuition for Minnesota residents attending a South Dakota’s regental institutions by about $1,400 a year, according to BOR.
“By treating new Minnesota students just like students from the other surrounding states, it reduced the annual cost to new Minnesota students, keeping South Dakota competitive when considering overall cost of attendance, even for students who qualify for Minnesota’s new program,” BOR Vice President Jeff Partridge told The Dakota Scout Thursday.
It also means South Dakotans enrolled now or in the future at Minnesota public universities could have to pay full in-state tuition in the fall. And for those who’ve already committed to being Gophers, Beavers, Dragons, or to dozens of other Minnesota higher-ed programs, the late warning is not appreciated — particularly for parents and seniors who’ve already cut checks.
Notification timing
“We have already paid admission fees and deposits, selected housing, and even signed a housing contract for next year,” said Erin Pritchett, a Sioux Falls mom whose son is admitted to the University of Minnesota, suggesting the Regents could have considered a delayed-implementation plan or alerted high schools earlier. “If the South Dakota Board of Regents made this decision back in December, I am confused as to why people were not notified back then regarding this change?”
BOR contends the public was notified of reciprocity with Minnesota being terminated, citing a Dec. 14 press release announcing Minnesota, Kansas and Missouri being added to the list of states offered “South Dakota Advantage” rates.
The release, though, did not articulate that reciprocity with Minnesota was terminated, saying only that “the rates will go into effect for new students enrolled in the 2024 summer term and beyond.”
That, coupled with an update to the Regent’s website this week explicitly stating Minnesota reciprocity has ended, and BOR’s first correspondence to high schools casts doubts on BOR’s efforts to publicize the change in December.
“We can only answer the questions from our end, and many of your questions will need to be directed to the specific Minnesota institutions,” read the Wednesday email to school guidance counselors. “We appreciate your support of students as they navigate this change.”
Emails from The Scout to the Minnesota Office of Higher Education were responded to with a link to the agency’s website and a referral to the BOR office in Pierre.
On their website, the Minnesota Office of Higher Education clarifies that students currently enrolled will continue to receive the reciprocity rate until they finish the degree program they’re enrolled in.
‘Increasing South Dakota’s competitive advantage’
The Regents maintain the decision is what’s best for South Dakota in a highly-competitive enrollment environment among U.S. universities, a motivator for BOR and the Legislature to approve of a fourth consecutive year of tuition freezes at its academic institutions Thursday.
“By ending the reciprocity agreement, we were able to lower the rate for new Minnesota students, increasing South Dakota’s competitive advantage,” BOR’s Communication Director Shuree Mortenson said. “How Minnesota chooses to respond, and the rates it sets for South Dakota students, is not something the South Dakota Board of Regents controls.”
North Star Promise
Beginning in the fall of 2024, according to Minnesota’s Office of Higher Education, the North Star Promise scholarship program will create a tuition and fee-free pathway to higher education for eligible Minnesota residents at eligible institutions as a “last-dollar” program by covering the balance of tuition and fees remaining after other scholarships, grants, stipends and tuition waivers have been applied.
Eligibility requirements include a family adjusted gross income as reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Minnesota Dream Act Application below $80,000.
For more information, visit the Office of Higher Education’s website at ohe.state.mn.us. For information about how Minnesota’s programs compares to other states, go to the Campaign for Free College Tuition at freecollegenow.org.
The Minnesota State system has reported higher enrollment for the 2024-25 school year, the first time in a decade, and Chancellor Scott Olson has credited the new North Star Promise program and the American Indian Scholars Program, both established after a 2023 boost in funding, for the spike.
North Dakota responded to the North Star Promise program by creating a new scholarship program, after North Dakota State University President David Cook spoke of “catastrophic implications” to the state’s school due to North Star Promise.
Pioneer Press reports were used in this story.
Minnesota
Minnesota cannabis store owners lament testing backlog: “It’s getting frustrating for everyone involved”
One of five cannabis testing sites in Minnesota is shutting down, citing exorbitant costs as the reason.
William Drexler is moving product he has around as he waits patiently for more. He says customers who come into Grey Area, on Grand Avenue in St. Paul, are looking for adult-use items, which he says are being held up by a backlog in testing.
“We haven’t had problems with drinks or edibles yet, but for the adult-use products that where we’ve seen the delays, like your pre-rolls, your flowers, we haven’t even gotten pens in yet,” Drexler said.
He says getting cannabis products in his store has been an issue since he got his license to sell them a few months ago.
“I’ve heard pretty much from every vendor that it’s testing that we are waiting on. That’s been the normal thing to hear, and week by week they may say, ‘it’s next week,’ and that can delay into the following week. So at this point I don’t think many of them are giving a date,” he said.
He anticipates getting those products will take even longer now that one of the testing sites is no longer testing.
In a statement, Legends Technical Services said, “under the current regulatory framework, we do not foresee an ability to continue to meet our client expectations in an economically viable manner. “
“We’ve already seen testing delays from the get go, so vendors aren’t really giving us time frames because they are probably hearing different time frames themselves,” Drexler said. “It’s getting frustrating for everyone involved.”
For now, Drexler contacts growers to see how long before his shelves are in full bloom.
“These companies here, it’s the same story kind of from them when we contact them. ‘Hey, we need more product. We’re hoping for new [product] soon, but it’s coming out of testing soon,’” he said.
WCCO has reached out to Minnesota’s Office of Cannabis Management for comment on the backlog.
Minnesota
Jack Leiter’s struggles at home give Minnesota Twins a pitching edge in American League clash
Every year, I feel like I end up locking on certain pitchers and teams and bet them more than others. It almost never is intentional; usually, I find a team or player I like, we win with them consistently, and I ride the horse until it is time to get off. That’s a bit of how I feel with both the Twins and Rangers who battle in this one.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE
I have said that the Chicago White Sox are the biggest surprise in all of baseball, but the Minnesota Twins might be willing to make a strong argument about it. This was a year that the Twins were supposed to be garbage and be more likely to trade people away (like they did last year) than they would be looking to make a move for the club. I can’t say it is entirely due to Byron Buxton, one of the names floated in trade rumors last year and in the offseason, but he is having a great campaign and has the Twins just five games below .500.
Joe Ryan of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch against the Cleveland Guardians in the first inning at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minn., on June 21, 2022. (David Berding/Getty Images)
One of the other guys that you can attribute the success of this year to is today’s starter, Joe Ryan. If the Twins do decide to take Ryan to the market, he will have many suitors and should bring back a big haul. Ryan has posted a 4-3 record with a 3.17 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. He has been slightly worse on the road than at home, but it hasn’t been a significant issue. He was great in May, posting a 1.73 ERA, but June has seen him make three starts and allow eight earned runs, including four homers. Rangers hitters have struggled significantly against him, hitting just .143 against him.
The Texas Rangers are still in the mix for the American League West division. Before you say, “Well, yeah, it’s only the middle of June.” I bring this up because they are just two games back of the Mariners, and the Rangers really haven’t played all that well this season. I think there is a lot of potential for this team to add a bat, and he could make a major difference. If they added Buxton, for example, the Rangers might be the favorite to win the division given how everyone else is playing.
Texas Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter delivers a pitch to the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on May 31, 2026. (Jim Cowsert/Imagn Images)
I’m not trying to discuss hypothetical trades, though. The pitching staff might be enough to carry them to a Wild Card or division title anyway. Today’s starter, Jack Leiter, isn’t the best on the roster, but he’s been good. Leiter is 3-6 with a 4.86 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. At home, he has been okay, going 2-2 with a 4.14 ERA. He has allowed four or more earned runs in seven of his 14 outings. Twins hitters are batting .417 against Leiter in just 12 at-bats, with Buxton going 2-for-2 with a double, a homer and three RBIs.
I think it probably makes sense to play Buxton to get 2+ bases here today. I get that he probably did all of this damage to Leiter in one game, but it is still worth seeing if he can get it done. He is having a good season, and Leiter isn’t a guy who is going to make you nervous very often about throwing zeroes.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins jogs off the field after the fifth inning of the MLB All-Star Game at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 15, 2025. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
I also think we probably should play the game overall. I think the Twins are the correct side in this game. There are a lot of times that I’d back the Rangers, as I think they have the better overall team, but in this one, the pitching mismatch is too strong. Give me the Ryan-led Twins, through five, on the moneyline.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024
City parks are all across Minnesota. But a town in Murray County has one that’s gone off its rails.
Currie, Minnesota, is truly small-town America. The population hovers at just over 200. But on the northern outskirts, you’ll happen upon a place with plenty of bells and whistles: End-O-Line Railroad Park and Museum.
“It’s like a little village from way back when. You have your church. You’ve got a school,” said visitor Larry Diedrich.
You’ve also got railroad relics, up and down the tracks.
“1901 was when the first line was put in here,” said Jake Halverson, site manager for End-O-Line Railroad Park and Museum.
Halverson said Currie was once a thriving railroad town. In fact, it was the end of the line for steam engines heading west. If you wanted to go east, Currie was your gateway to the rest of the world. The first stop was Bigham Lake.
“From Bigham Lake they could go to Minneapolis, from Minneapolis to Chicago, from Chicago to New York,” said Halverson.
But by mid-century the last train had left the station. No sooner did that happen than teenagers from the local 4H club began to clean up the abandoned turntable.
The platform was used to turn 400,000-pound steam engines around when they hit the end of the line. Thanks to the 4Hers, it still works today.
The club also bought the train depot for $1 from the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad Company and moved it closer to the turntable.
“That is really the beginning of maybe bringing more attention to the history of the railroad here,” said Halverson.
It’s history that comes in all shapes and sizes, including a model railroad that’s a replica of a time that was.
“It was built to look like what Currie was 100 years ago,” said Halverson.
Much of what you see at the park and museum is original, including a 125-year-old water tower that was moved to the site from Walnut Grove.
The caboose nearby originally came from South Dakota. The locomotive once ran in Georgia.
The rail business may have left Currie, but the love for trains never did. It’s a chance to celebrate big history in a small town.
“Wherever there have been trains, there have been people who are fascinated by them,” said Halverson. “I think this is an opportunity for individuals to learn about not only this part of Minnesota but to know where this part of Minnesota fits in with the rest of the world.”
The End-O-Line Railroad Park and Museum is open from Wednesday through Sunday from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day.
-
Movie Reviews10 minutes ago‘Maa Inti Bangaram’ Movie Review: Samantha Rocks, Writing Suffers
-
World22 minutes agoUS tells ASML it is concerned China may have top chip tool, Bloomberg News reports
-
News25 minutes agoSan Francisco Film Patrons Are Found Dead on Side of Highway
-
Politics30 minutes agoVideo: Reflecting Pool Turns Green, Paint Peels After Renovation
-
Health45 minutes agoNew At-Home DNA Test Reveals if GLP-1 Weight-Loss Drugs Will Work for You
-
Lifestyle1 hour agoWhat does freedom actually look like? : It’s Been a Minute
-
Technology1 hour agoBarret Zoph is out at OpenAI again after just five months
-
World1 hour agoIran hardliner behind US deal warns Tehran won’t honor agreement if Trump fails to deliver
