Committee adopts amendment and forwards bill to require refund‑deadline disclosure at registration

Senator Gustafson told the committee SF 4297 seeks to ensure students and families see the deadline to drop a course for a full tuition refund at the point of registration. "When students register for a class, they should know exactly when the financial commitment becomes final," Gustafson said.

The bill’s adopted amendment (A4) tightens timing for disclosure — requiring institutions to provide the refund deadline at registration — and adds an enforcement process through the Office of Higher Education (OHE). Under the amendment, students could file complaints with OHE if an institution fails to disclose the deadline; OHE could order policy corrections, require tuition refunds for affected students or impose fines where appropriate.

Representatives of Minnesota State and the University of Minnesota told senators that system campuses generally publish refund deadlines and offer appeals processes. A Minnesota private‑college representative said most of the private colleges surveyed said they either already comply or could comply with small changes, but he raised practical concerns about catalog timing and short‑term courses that have staggered start dates.

Senators asked whether OHE would require additional resources to manage complaints; witnesses said they do not expect a significant increase in workload and noted there is no fiscal note attached to the bill. The committee approved amendment A4 by voice vote and then passed SF 4297, as amended, to the Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety by voice vote.

What happens next: SF 4297 will go to the Judiciary and Public Safety committee for additional review and any further amendments.