Speaking for all the soon-to-be and recent college graduates in Minnesota, I’m pretty sure I can safely say that we have one thing on our minds constantly: jobs. It might be a little bit of an exaggeration to say I think about jobs when I eat, sleep, and do homework, but that’s kind of what it feels like.
The good news for me, and other college students who will graduate in the coming years, is that Minnesota will be facing one of the largest demands for educated workers in the nation. A new report predicts that in 2018, 70 percent of the jobs in the state will require post-secondary education.
But while Minnesota will add a whopping 152,000 jobs that require education and training beyond the high school level by 2018, the job prospects for high school graduates and dropouts aren’t so promising. In contrast, jobs for high school graduates and dropouts will grow by 28,000.
Our educational attainment is something Minnesotans have always been proud of, but years of underfunding education makes it that much more difficult to ensure our kids get a quality education. We’ve got make sure that groups with alarming drop out rates—immigrants and minorities—have the best chance possible to succeed in high school and go on to some kind of college. Our economy and job market are changing, making it more difficult to get a job without some post-secondary education. It’s our job to make sure that we’re giving young Minnesotans the best possible tools to succeed in this changing job market.
It's easy to get overwhelmed by all the different proposals for balancing the state budget. The Senate just started laying out their own proposal, which is similar to the Governor's but includes some key differences, according to Minnesota Budget Bites.
I immediately noticed the difference in funding reductions for the Minnesota State grant program. As a Macalester student and a MN State Grant recipient, it caught my eye that Gov. Pawlenty has proposed a $2.3 million permanent cut to the program. The Senate does not cut base funding for the State Grant program.
I probably wouldn't have noticed this at all except that Macalester's Day at the Capital to advocate for the program was last week. The MN State Grant program helps over 84,000 Minnesota students like myself pay for college.
That's more than one-third of college students who are residents of Minnesota.
The program benefits students attending all institutions, as you can see by the picture above.
Almost every college student I know cringes when they think of the loans they need to take out in order to pay for their education. This program is so important because it helps students like me minimize their borrowing and future debt, while keeping higher education accessible.
We must avoid Gov. Pawlenty's proposal to make permanent cuts to this program. We need to make sure the state budget isn't balanced on the backs of low- and middle-income college students who are trying to pay for their education without becoming financially paralyzed.
This morning I met with Angela, one of ABM's Twitter followers, in the library at St. Cloud State University. Angela is a graduate student at SCSU and took a few minutes out of what-must-be a busy week before school starts, to share her story with the Make Minnesota Thrive Drive.
Like Francis -- the student we spoke to in Moorhead -- Angela said she struggles to make ends meet following years and years of tuition and fee increases. What's most striking, she said, is that college students at Minnesota state colleges are paying the same amount in tuition as she paid for private college tuition. Many of her peers, Angela added, are constantly worrying about how they're going to pay for another semester's tuition and that affects their studies. To make sure she pays for school and makes her loan payments on time, Angela has moved back in with her parents and borrowed money from them. Most students don't have that option, she added.
But it's not just tuition and fee increases that are affecting college students. Angela shared the story of one of her friends, a fellow graduate student, who is a brilliant researcher, but who struggles with depression. Angela's friend is on MinneostaCare, and wouldn't be able to afford her medication (upwards of $200 a month!) if not for the coverage it provides. When she heard about Governor Tim Pawlenty's plans to cut GAMC funding and force 30,000 Minnesotans off of MinnesotaCare, she began to fear that she would no longer be able to afford to treat her depression.
Check out the video below. We'll have more of our interview with Angela soon.
It's easy to get overwhelmed by all the different proposals for balancing the state budget. The Senate just started laying out their own proposal, which is similar to the Governor's but includes some key differences, according to 
This morning I met with Angela, one of ABM's 
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