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Direct admissions expansion advances; HF 1128 allows districts an opt‑out and is sent to Higher Education
Summary
House File 1128, which would expand the Minnesota Direct Admissions program and set a statewide implementation timeline while allowing districts to opt out, was amended and re‑referred to the Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee.
The House Education Policy Committee adopted an author’s amendment and re‑referred House File 1128 to the Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee on March 26, 2025. The bill would expand Minnesota's Direct Admissions program — which uses students' junior‑year GPA to generate proactive admission notices to Minnesota colleges and universities — and set a phased implementation schedule while preserving local opt‑out authority.
Representative Mueller, sponsor of HF 1128, said the program sends students letters in their senior year showing which Minnesota institutions have proactively accepted them, and that participation has promising outcomes. "Direct admissions is more than a letter. It's a lifeline," Jessica Cabeen, principal at Austin Online Academy, testified, describing students' reduced anxiety and increased clarity about postsecondary options after receiving admission letters.
Corey Haugen, director of information services for Austin Public Schools, said the district has presented direct admission letters to 253 seniors in one year and 288 in the next, and that more than two‑thirds of Austin students qualify for direct admissions. He described the program as a tool that helps first‑generation students and families navigate college options and encouraged expansion.
Students United and representatives from Minnesota State testified in support, citing early data from the Office of Higher Education showing higher FAFSA completion rates among direct‑admission students (77 percent) compared with non‑participants (51 percent) in the program's first year. The sponsor's A1 amendment clarified that districts could opt out if they were not ready, preserving district autonomy while allowing a multi‑year ramp to statewide availability.
Representative Mueller renewed her motion to re‑refer HF 1128 as amended to Higher Education, and the committee approved the referral by voice vote. Committee members praised the program's potential to expand postsecondary access and said they would send the bill to the Higher Education Committee for further consideration.
