A bill that would prevent international students from receiving state-funded scholarships did not receive a warm welcome from the Minnesota Senate Higher Education Committee Tuesday. The bill, authored by Sen. Ray Vandeveer, R-Forest Lake , was laid over by the committee for possible future consideration, but Sen. Charles Wiger, D-Maplewood , said he doubted the bill would go any further in the Legislature. At the hearing, several committee members opposed the bill, which would affect both the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities systems. Wiger, who serves on the higher education committee, said his daughter participated in collegiate sports and having international teammates offered new opportunities for the team. âÄúThereâÄôs value in college by meeting new people and getting a better perspective,âÄù he said. âÄúItâÄôs a great educational opportunity in school âÄî meeting people from beyond your state and your country.âÄù Wiger also said athletic programs help bring in revenue for universities, which in turn results in a better education for students. Universities can currently provide state funds to international students, and Wiger said the system has not raised problems thus far. None of the committee members spoke in favor of the bill during the hearing, but Vandeveer told the committee state funds should go toward education as opposed to athletics. âÄúIs the purpose of having the college to have a hockey team or is the purpose to have an education?âÄù he said. The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities would not be affected by the bill, but St. Cloud State University would be among the universities to take a hit. SCSU Athletic Director Morris Kurtz said the school currently has 15 student athletes who are not U.S. citizens, and he said those students receive some of the $90,000 state funding. Kurtz said there would be other ways to find scholarship money for the students, but he said the bill could prevent the promotion of diversity. âÄúWe want the diversity at our campus and weâÄôre worried about the message this [bill] sends,âÄù Kurtz said.