Students launch $65 Million GoFundMe Campaign to Ease Tuition Increases
Today the Minnesota State Board of Trustees voted to raise tuition by $65 million for Minnesota college and university students, the maximum allowed by the Minnesota legislature and governor. With some of the highest tuition in the country for community and technical college students, this tuition increase will cause enrollment to continue to spiral downward making the budget situation worse for colleges across the state.
“This tuition increase will push the dream of attaining a college degree out of reach for thousands of students,” said Frankie Becerra, President of LeadMN. “The Board’s insatiable appetite for tuition increases sends the wrong message to Minnesotans already concerned about the accessibility and affordability of the state colleges.”
To support students in paying for $65 million tuition increase, LeadMN launched a GoFundMe Campaign to raise money from generous Minnesotans to blunt the negative impact of the tuition increase. Scholarships of $180 will be distributed to community and technical college students with the goal of helping as many students hurt by the tuition increase.
Minnesotans can donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/a-lifeline-to-college-students-drowning-in-debt
“Many students already work multiple jobs and still go into debt to pay for school, now they have to depend on the generosity of total strangers to make college affordable for them,” said Mr. Becerra.
The campaign was inspired by the generosity of Robert F. Smith, a philanthropist who paid for the student debt of the entire graduating class of Morehouse College last month. Now Minnesota students are hoping that the generosity of fellow Minnesotans can help make college affordable for them.