Tuition Freeze Provides Help For Students [AUDIO]

ST. CLOUD -- College students in Minnesota will be getting a temporary break after lawmakers recently passed a tuition freeze for all MnSCU schools and the University of Minnesota.

Governor Mark Dayton is calling the additional $250 million in higher education spending "historic." Those savings will be felt here in the St. Cloud area.

Michael Uran is the director of financial aid at St. Cloud State University. He says families will be able to better plan out any potential borrowing.

The deal will also include $46 million for the State Grant program. St. Cloud State University President Earl Potter III says this will go a long way to helping part time students.

Roughly 3,000 students at SCSU benefited from the State Grant program last year, says Uran.

Despite the new funding, serious budget decisions will need to be made. Potter says they are very thankful for the new money, but adds cuts to programs could still happen.

SCSU could also use some of the allocated money to retain talented staff, support research and use a new program to assist the university in buying new equipment.

The State Grant program provides over 100,000 Minnesotans with financial aid. The bill received bipartisan support in the Senate with a vote of 44-22. The House followed suit by passing the measure 76-56.