Minn. committee re-refers HF 10 after debate over North Star Promise eligibility

The Minnesota House Committee on Higher Education voted 7-6 on Friday to recommend that House File 10 be re-referred to the House Committee on Health Finance and Policy after roughly an hour of testimony and member questioning about whether undocumented students should remain eligible for state financial aid.

Representative Isaac Schultz, who introduced House File 10, said the bill is intended “to address our looming budget deficit,” noting “With over $5,000,000,000 projected as a deficit in just a couple years.” The bill would revise eligibility for resident-student criteria used by the Office of Higher Education and would remove certain pathways that allow people without lawful immigration status to receive state financial-aid awards, including awards made through what is commonly called the Minnesota Dream Act and the North Star Promise program.

The question of scale and scope was central to committee discussion. Commissioner Olson of the Office of Higher Education told the committee the agency’s most recent available data show 145 students had applied for North Star Promise funding through the Dream Act process; 11 students received North Star Promise base awards totaling…