ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota House voted 100-32 for a package of higher-ed policy proposals, including $2,500 scholarships for student aspiring to careers in high-demand energy fields. The House higher-ed committee chair, Gene Pelowski, D-Winona, said the package will help train the workforce of tomorrow.” The bill next goes to the Senate. The package funds programs in both the University of Minnesota system and the Minnesota State system, which includes Winona State and Minnesota College “Southeast in Winona. Pelowski said the new bill builds on “landmark investments” in the 2023 Higher Education Budget and makes them “even more effective.” Besides hundreds of hundreds of additional $2,500 scholarships to build a clean energy workforce, the policy package fine-tunes funding for campus construction. The package also places firmer regulations on third-party companies that run online academic programs. There also are updates on assistance for students with disabilities and how colleges handle sexual harassment and violence. Other provisions:
> Colleges must establish a counselor for “parenting students” to navigate programmatic hurdles.
> All private colleges, large and small, must adhere to government policies against sexual harassment and violence.
> Private career school offering credits through state colleges must be transparent with students and must comply with tighter regulations.