Minnesota’s Great Cost Shift

In today’s economy, a college education is essential for getting a good job and entering the middle class. Yet, despite this reality, college costs are rising beyond the reach of many Minnesotans. State policy decisions have played a significant role in this rise by shifting costs onto students and families though declining state support. This report is based on the Demos report “The Great Cost Shift”, which examines how nationwide disinvestment in public higher education over the past two decades has shifted costs to students and their families. The report outlines how such disinvestment is magnified by rapidly rising enrollments, and its effects are felt particularly acutely as student bodies become more economically, racially, and ethnically diverse. This report focuses on Minnesota, highlighting the trends in the state’s higher education funding over the last twenty years.