Recent discussions on how to ease the financial burdens on college students have suggested tuition freezes to cutting administrative spending, but one potential solution remains largely overlooked.
In Minnesota, there are over 430,000 students registered in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, with many beginning in two-year schools before
transferring to a four-year program. For many, the potential money saved far outweighs delaying the true “college experience” until later on.
While it may be cost effective, there are some inherent troubles with the current MnSCU system. One of the prime concerns for students who are hesitant is that credits don’t always transfer.
A new MnSCU plan intends to address this problem and has found preliminary budgetary support in the Minnesota House and Senate. Administrators’ goal is to implement a plan to simplify the credit-transfer process for certain programs by 2017. The process would eventually expand to more majors, providing a clear, concise plan for students so that they know where they can transfer and exactly which credits are applicable.
While these changes would not directly affect the University of Minnesota, which uses a separate system for transfers, the University should also consider reviewing its transfer policies that can cause expensive mistakes for students.
We feel this plan is long overdue. It could help students more deeply understand their options, and we urge the Minnesota Legislature to take this higher education budget proposal seriously.
