House offers initial higher-education funding package in HF24301 conference; committee moves to recess after public comment

The conference committee on House File 24301 opened at 1 p.m. and the House presented its initial offer, a public spreadsheet summarizing proposed changes to higher-education funding and policy included in the bill. House fiscal staff said the offer meets targets set in a prior global agreement and outlined increases and reductions across the state grant program, Minnesota State and the University of Minnesota appropriations, and several student-support programs.

Ken Savory, identified as House fiscal staff, summarized the House spreadsheet, dated 05/15 at 5:22 p.m., saying the House is "hitting the targets as assigned by the global agreement of $22,000,000 in 26-27 and $4,500,000 in 28-29." He described specific line-item changes, including increases to the state grant program and reductions or alignments on other student supports.

The House offer includes a $47,230,000 increase above base for the state grant program in fiscal years 2026-27 and a $31,564,000 increase above base in fiscal years 2028-29, according to Savory's walk-through of the spreadsheet. The House also maintained a $5,500,000 reduction for the state work-study program in each biennium. Savory said the House proposed a negative…