S.F. 3327 is the Office of Higher Education (OHE) agency bill. It makes various substantive and technical changes to the statutes governing postsecondary institutions. 

Section 1. Powers and duties; report. The Minnesota P-20 Education Partnership consists of major statewide educational groups and was created to maximize achievements of students from early childhood to postsecondary education. Under the P-20 Partnership’s direction, the OHE and the Department of Education are required to provide the public and policymakers with data and reports. Section 1 adds research related to early childhood development and investments in young children and their families to the reporting requirements (via data contained in the Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System).

Sec. 2. Eligibility. Clarifies how applicants to the teacher candidate grant program may demonstrate their intent to teach in a shortage area.

Sec. 3. Administration; repayment. Eliminates a 2017 requirement that the commissioner of the OHE develop a repayment process for teacher candidate grant recipients who do not complete student teaching or who leave Minnesota in the first year of student teaching.

Sec. 4. Eligible student. Moves the definition of “eligible student” from § 136A.1701 and combines it with the existing “eligible student” in § 136A.15, the general definition section for student loan programs.

Sec. 5. Designation. Corrects a statutory cross-reference.

Sec. 6. Rules, policies, and conditions. Eliminates a compatibility requirement for a federal loan program.

Sec. 7-9. Student loan programs. Corrects statutory cross-references.

Sec. 10. Classification of data. Adds a statutory cross-reference to the student loan refinancing statute.

Sec. 11. Repayment of loans. Strikes repayment procedures provided for supplemental loans under § 136A.1701, inserts a cross-reference to OHE’s general rules and policies for student loan programs in § 136A.16.

Sec. 12. Schools to provide information. 2017 legislation established a student complaint process for private and out of state public postsecondary institutions. Section 12 requires schools, during registration, to provide to the OHE the school’s disclosure to students regarding the student complaint process.

Sec. 13. Additional security. In the Minnesota Private and Out of State Public Postsecondary Education Act, adds a specific calculation for the surety bond amount required for new schools with conditional approval (not < $10,000 and at least 10% of the school’s net revenue from tuition and fees in the prior fiscal year). Provides, for failing registered institutions, that if the letter of credit required by the U.S. Department of Education is greater than 10% of federal financial aid funds the institution received in the most recently completed fiscal year, then OHE will reduce the surety requirement to 10% of federal financial aid funds the institution received in the most recently completed fiscal year, as long as it is at least $10,000 but not more than $250,000.

Sec. 14. Bond. Corrects technical accounting terminology.

Sec. 15. Catalog, brochure, or electronic display. 2017 legislation established a student complaint process for private career schools. Section 15 requires private career schools, during their licensure, to provide to OHE the school’s disclosure to students regarding the student complaint process.

Sec. 16. Disclosure. Requires private career schools to disclose to students the 2017 student complaint process.

Sec. 17. Emergency assistance for postsecondary students. In paragraph (a), a technical change to clarify that the program is limited to Minnesota schools. In paragraph (b), a change to conform to federal law regarding student financial aid.

Sec. 18. Repealer. Technical change repealing certain definitions relating to student loan programs.